Lana del Rey
Blue Banisters - Polydor 2021
Tracks: 1. Text Book / 2. Blue Banisters / 3. Arcadia / 4. Interlude - The Trio / 5. Black Bathing Suit / 6. If You Lie Down With Me / 7. Beautiful / 8. Violets for Roses / 9. Dealer / 10. Thunder / 11. Wildflower Wildfire / 12. Nectar of the Gods / 13. Living Legend / 14. Cherry Blossom / 15. Sweet Carolina
Comments:
This was the second 2021 album from Lana del Rey. I was not particularly impressed with the predecessor "Chemtrails Over the Country Club", although there indeed were fine tracks like "White Dress", "Let me Love you Like a Woman" and "Yosemite".
I therefore did not have high expectations for "Blue Bannisters" when it was released later in the year. Since most reviewers rated the album stronger than "Chemtrails", and as a loyal fan I did descide buying the album, after all.
Unfortunately, I must now admit that I find "Blue Bannisters" at least as disappointing as its predecessor. Virtually all songs are slow ballads, and it can be difficult to remember / distinguish the individual tracks from each other.
Honorable exceptions are "Text Book" and "Dealer", the latter with guest vocals from co-songwriter Miles Kane. However, the album's strongest track is "Thunder", which is almost classic Lana del Rey - also one of the few tracks where guitars play a significant role.
Maybe two albums in a year was, after all, squeezing the lemon too hard. A single album, with the best of the two, would have stood markedly stronger.
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