LANA DEL REY 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: There really is a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard. Not accessible to the public, it was allegedly originally built way back in the interwar period to provide easy access between an oil company's HQ and an amusement park. Such a grisly and suggestive origin myth is the epitome of Lana Del Rey's latest chart-topping album, which is named after the very same tunnel. Much like the underhanded links between the entertainment industry and dirty money alluded to in the title, Del Rey has mastered her sound here: an affective rumination on love, loneliness, and of course, loss, appealing to both ironic zoomers and nostalgia-trippers alike.

Review: Lana Del Rey is back with a title that promises to intrigue, 'Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd?"' If her previous works are any indication, we can expect a hauntingly nostalgic exploration of life in California, where the artist grew up. With her velvety voice and dejectedly poetic lyrics, Del Rey has made a name for herself as a modern-day bard of the West Coast. This release is sure to add another chapter to her musical saga, charting three new songs and one remix, and collaborations across the pop spectrum including Father John Misty, Tommy Genesis and Jon Batiste.

Review: Over the course of her last few albums, Lana Del Ray has evolved into a significant chronicler of 21st century American life, with sharper-then-ever lyrics accompanied by fittingly haunting, downbeat and bittersweet musical arrangements. Blue Bannisters, which like so many albums released this year was written and recorded during lockdown, continues in a similar vein to its predecessors, with Del Ray's fragile, melancholic vocals being accompanied by ghostly synthesizer chords, striking piano motifs, drowsy aural textures, simmering strings, gentle guitars and occasional rhythmic nods to trip-hop. It's more bittersweet than intense, but undeniably a creative response to the most testing of times. Considered in those terms, it's a hugely impactful and entertaining album.