Skip to main content

"Mariners Apartment Complex" - Lana Del Rey



I think I promised some Lana-related blabbing, so here it goes. I've been traveling a lot these past several days, which has left me quite some time to enjoy music. And by music I mean 90 percent "Norman Fucking Rockwell."

This and "Cinnamon Girl" are, to me, the standout tracks off this album. There's really not a dud among the group - some songs are a little more subdued than others, I will say - but the songs that stand out are like, shit people will be listening to in 20 plus years. 

Now, for "Mariners Apartment Complex," there's two reasons it is - without a doubt - one of her top tracks. First of all, it's a classic throwback ballad dressed up in modern production (the help of Jack Antonoff.) This sounds like something that emerged directly for radio play in the '70s. Without the production that is undeniably contemporary - imagine a stripped-down acoustic version - "Mariners" would not be out of place in the singer-songwriter movement of that period.

The second reason are those lyrics. My GOD. Lana can really, really, really write a song - in a way that puts her heads above most of her mainstream associates. She can do what Jack Kerouac once wrote about - create a mind-movie using only her words. But more than that - what I find really interesting about "Norman Fucking Rockwell" as a whole is the fact that somehow Lana is tackling not novel subject matter, but she's discussing it in a way few others are able to articulate. Yes, there are plenty of love songs. "And who I am is a big-time believer that people can change, that you don't have to leave her. When everyone's talking, you can make a stand." I would argue that she's probably the closet thing we have to a heir to Leonard Cohen in the soundscape of today's mainstream pop.

I don't really like to wax on lyrical interpretations, since it is sort of a Rorschah Test for everyone who listens to a song, but the way I see "Mariners" is it's a love song to someone who is reluctant about love. A lot of the lyrics seem to verge on reassurance to her intended target. Some of it is borderline sardonic - there is some dark humor very obvious on this album - but other lines are surprisingly tender. "You're lost at sea, then I'll command your boat to me again" is a personal favorite.

Remember when LDR first broke out earlier this decade? Well, there was a whole of pushback about who she was and what her shtick was. Lots of questions about authenticity, probing into her background, dissecting who the struggling singer-songwriter "Lizzy Grant" was. And in retrospect, that was never fair to her. Due to the massively positive critical reception of "Norman Fucking Rockwell," it's safe to say, however, that those days are long behind her.

But it begs asking, why did it take so long for people to genuinely recognize how talented she is to begin with? 

- Britt

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

"Mon Soleil" - Ashley Park

If there's anything people take away from my piss-poor legacy, I hope it's what a huge, unabashed fan of "Emily in Paris" I am and will continue to be. People love "90 Day Fiancee," "The Bachelor," and other garbage - allow me "Emily," which is at least harmless, kind of goofy fluff (which does, unfortunately, lean into some stereotypes, as the country of Ukraine knows ). I have already watched Season 2 twice. And honestly my favorite part of this show (despite my crush on Camille Razart and Lily Collins channeling Audrey Hepburn hardcore ) is Ashley Park. This woman has superstar written all over her. She's a bona fide Broadway star, and "Emily in Paris" has served as her pivot into the zeitgeist.  "Emily in Paris" is also showcasing her vocal prowess front and center this season, with her covering BTS, "All By Myself," "Sympathtique," and Marilyn Monroe. But the real standout performance is th

"Anchors" - AM Higgins

Here's a nice breezy, almost sensual song from AM Higgins (the solo project of musician Annie Toth) to start your Tuesday off right.  Her debut album "Hymning" will be out November 5th on Victorialand Records. The album was mixed by Casey Foubert, a frequent collaborator of Sufjan Stevens. The album "captures the first years of moving from an American city to rural France." Sounds like "Hymning" will be a welcome escape from the world we live in right now, especially considering that Annie Toth counts poets Mary Oliver and Thomas Merton as influences.

Summer Playlist - 2022 Edition!

 It's truly the little things in life that make a world of difference. And for me, that means my summer playlist! Behold, I have put together 2022's edition. It includes cuts from artists like: - Mitski - Uffie - Johnny Orlando - Kylie Minogue + Jessie Ware - Florence and the Machine (who put out a fantastic album this year after a long dry spell of kind of "meh" records. Her pairing with Jack Antonoff worked out quite well!)  - Bilal - Harry Styles (he has some catchy music!)  - KATE BUSH DUH - And of course, Lana. It's also available on Apple Music, but since I recognize a lot of folks use Spotify, here's that link. Enjoy!