Album Review: Chemtrails Over The Country Club - Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey caught me off guard with the release of her 2019 album Norman Fucking Rockwell!. Refined, atmospheric, and poetically-written, NFR was a significant departure from the pop influence that made Del Rey’s earlier projects like Ultraviolence and Lust For Life such smash hits. I was a bit wary when I heard she was soon releasing new music, as I somewhat expected Del Rey to return to a mainstream sound with more accessible and radio-friendly songwriting. Luckily, the opposite is true. Chemtrails Over The Country Club is another step closer toward traditional indie songwriting, with minimal and acoustic production supporting potent and beautiful lyrical refrains. I had high hopes for this album, and I’m glad to say they were exceeded.

“White Dress” has a tough competitor in the title-track opener from her previous album, which immediately grabbed the listener’s attention with the introductory lyrics of “God damn man child, you fucked me so good that I almost said “I love you.’” “White Dress” isn’t immediately as gripping in terms of its lyrical content, but instead because of its delivery. Del Rey’s vocal style is more raw and emotional than ever before - a clear intentional decision to go into her upper register to deliver passionate but gentle lyrics about her past and her nostalgia for life before fame. The references to the color white denote a symbol of her perceived purity before falling into the scrutiny of the public eye, which she’ll now never be able to escape. The subject matter of this album is immediately reflective and powerful. This opener is followed by the title track, which was also one of the lead singles in the lead-up to this project. The eery contrast of chemtrails, which have previously been associated with conspiracy theories and paranoia, and a country club, which is often associated with relaxing and familial themes, evokes a sense of unease that pairs perfectly with the production from Jack Antonoff found throughout this album. I love the drum cymbal ending which quietly wraps this track up, sending us into another highlight.

“Tulsa Jesus Freak” feels like a song a long-time in the making, which makes sense when understanding that the chorus refrain of “white-hot forever” was originally going to be the title of this album. Del Rey’s vocal delivery is more recognizable and in her traditional style, but that doesn’t stop her from creatively implementing artistic approaches like the inclusion of background sound effects or tasteful autotune. Overall, this is a really great song. “Let Me Love You Like A Woman” follows, and this single fits very well into the tracklisting. This piano-backed ballad packs thoughtful and sentimental lyrics one after another until its instrumentation builds for a slightly more energetic conclusion. The vocal harmonizing is killer, as well. “Wild At Heart” explores the passions of a loving relationship that allows Del Rey to be exactly who she is and no one less. The chorus and verses intermingle with one another perfectly, and I’m reminded of how skilled of a songwriter Del Rey truly is.

“Dark But Just A Game” again explores the intricacies and difficulties that fame has forced upon Del Rey, who herself has often been in the public eye for questionable opinions and problematic statements. I feel more sympathy for her in this regard after tracks like this - it seems like she’s always coming from a good place, but that her words are often misconstrued. The chorus and verses transition masterfully, and Del Rey’s introspection continues to impress me. “Not All Who Wanted Are Lost” is one of the more straightforward tracks on the album, allowing for Del Rey to flex her vocal and harmonizing abilities while reflecting on her urges to simply explore. Her unconventional and untraditional lifestyle should be considered successful despite being much less rigid than most - an idea that seems well-explored from the singer.

“Yosemite” features a quick-paced and strong acoustic backing and explores the evergreen nature of truly healthy and successful relationships. Del Rey’s wordplay is absolutely incredible here as she finds the best ways to say things in the simplest ways. It seems that to her, a good relationship stems from being in it for all of the right reasons, which is something I can agree with. “Breaking Up Slowly” features an uncredited Nikki Lane who co-wrote the track with Del Rey. This track sounds nice but is a bit of a sonic and thematic departure from the fantastic tracks coming before it. Because of this, I wish it had instead been scrapped and released as a single. “Dance Till We Die” is a sweet homage to famous songwriters who paved the way for Del Rey to get to the level of success she has achieved. Tracks like this always impress me because of their humility. The final track, “For Free”, is a cover of one of the artists referenced in the song prior: Joni Mitchell. It features Zella Day and Weyes Blood, who I was ecstatic to see on the tracklisting. The cover chosen here was very clever and fitting stylistically, and the accompanying vocals mirror Del Rey’s perfectly. I adore anything Weyes Blood touches, so it’s safe to say that this familiar-sounding closer sat right with me. Suddenly the album is over, and Del Rey has delivered another fantastic project.

The change in sound from her last two albums is starting to feel more like a maturation than an anomaly. Lana Del Rey has solidified her signature sound and lyrical content and is now using that strong foundation to explore more universal but introspective concepts that make for great projects. Even more mature and refined than NFR’s still innocent sound, Chemtrails Over The Country Club is one of my favorite Lana Del Rey projects yet - and it still doesn’t feel like the peak of her potential.

Favorite tracks: “White Dress”, “Chemtrails Over The Country Club”, “Tulsa Jesus Freak”, “Let Me Love You Like A Woman”, “Wild At Heart”, “Dark But Just A Game”, “Not All Who Wander Are Lost”, “For Free”

SCORE: Light 7/10

Album Review: TYRON - slowthai

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to see rap group BROCKHAMPTON in concert at the Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta. After waiting in line for merch, my girlfriend and I made our way to our seats. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that slow that was opening for that show, which wasn’t long after the release of his debut studio album Nothing Great About Britain. Abrasive, aggressive, and full of energy, slowthai’s set was extremely memorable. It was so intense, in fact, that multiple audience members passed out in the middle of their mosh pits. I largely associated slowthai with this set from then on and assumed his music was mostly surface-level bangers. That is precisely why his sophomore album TYRON appeals to me so much - it’s a split record with half intense songs and half introspective cuts making up the tracklisting. Deeper than expected, this record impressed me on many levels.

Just because slowthai’s hard-hitting and energetic songs aren’t that deep doesn’t mean that they don’t chaotically slap. The record’s opener “45 SMOKE” facilitates slowthai’s confident grime delivery and lyricism perfectly. The bass kicks throughout and the only downside is slowthai’s different delivery toward the end of the track. “Cancelled (feat. Skepta)” is the epitome of grimy British rap in action, as the two essential declare that they are uncancellable. The production is bouncy and catchy here, as has become standard on slowthai’s records. “MAZZA (feat. A$AP Rocky)” is one of my favorite tracks on the record, as it utilizes its feature fantastically. This track is as mad and insane as its title suggests.

“VEX” is a shorter transitional track, but slowthai packs in as many bars as he can over the concise and bouncy beat behind him. “WOT” offers a luxurious and floor-shaking bass for its 48-second runtime, and mainly just leaves me wanting more evolution. It does transition well into “DEAD”, though, which features another killer beat and more introspective lyrics from slowthai as he begins to shift the album’s tone closer to the record’s second half. This is especially true with the last track on the A-side, “PLAY WITH FIRE”, which takes a turn to a softer and more mellow atmosphere. slowthai begins discussing deeper concepts here, which is refreshing to hear from him.

“i tried” is the first track on the second half of the album’s 14 song tracklisting, and we can immediately recognize the change in tone. A decadent and sentimental instrumental allows slowthai to explore more artistic and reflective bars, like “If hell’s meant for sinning, heaven’s never been for me.” Another indicator of the tonal change is the shift to lowercase song titles - a subtle but creative touch. “Focus” uses a very unique beat with ascending vocal backing, and again, slowthai gets more introspective than we’ve ever heard him. The beat evolves into something bouncier, but still subdued and calmer than typical.

“terms (feat. Dominic Fike & Denzel Curry)” is another highlight on this project, although I wish Denzel Curry was more involved than the pitched vocal before slowthai’s verses. slowthai discusses his upbringing and mindset, and Dominic Fike’s chorus pairs with the rest of the track perfectly. “push (feat. Deb Never)” introduced me to the featured artist, whose beautiful vocal opening really caught me off guard. The acoustic instrumental is minimal and gentle, adding a level of complexity to slowthai’s bars, which again are about his mindset and relationships with others.

“nhs” sounds very much like the BROCKHAMPTON songs that I listened to live after slowthai opened for them in 2019. This is a fairly happy-sounding song but is a little bleaker upon further analysis in that it basically states we can’t have happiness without sadness. This is a more mature concept than I expected slowthai to tackle on this record, and while the execution isn’t perfect, I still enjoy this track very much. I was excited to see James Black on “feel away (feat. James Blake & Mount Kimbie)”, and was not disappointed, as Blake delivered as per usual. Again, this track is deeper than it sounds on its surface, but in the best way possible. “adhd” reflects nicely on the album’s themes, and allows for slowthai to declare his new-found confidence and attitude toward life. It ends abruptly, but I think that was quite intentional. A solid closer to a great album.

It’s incredibly satisfying to watch artists mature sonically and lyrically. slowthai has a bright future ahead of him if he allows both sides of his unexpectedly complex personality to shine simultaneously. I saw slowthai open for BROCKHAMPTON accidentally, and now I’d pay to see his show. I can’t wait to see where he goes from here, and there’s no reason to think it’s anywhere but up. I highly recommend checking this record out.

Favorite tracks: “45 SMOKE”, “CANCELLED (feat. Skepta)”, “MAZZA (feat. A$AP Rocky)”, “PLAY WITH FIRE”, “i tried”, “terms (feat. Dominic Fike & Denzel Curry)”, “push (feat. Deb Never)”, “nhs”, “feel away (feat. James Blake & Mount Kimbie)”, “adhd”

SCORE: 7/10

Album Review: For the first time - Black Country, New Road

English rock band Black Country, New Road have officially made their debut with the release of their first album For the first time. Multiple singles from this project garnered critical acclaim and internet popularity, and the eventual release built up a sort of cult following ready to see what this eccentric and instrumentally skilled band had to offer. Luckily, this edgy, jazz-influenced art pop and post-punk album leaves very little to be desired. At only six tracks but a 40-minute runtime, this record goes by very quickly in the best ways possible.

The opening and self-describing track “Instrumental” is a multi-instrumental accomplishment. Each layer culminates by the end of this 5 and a half minute track, crescendoing intensely with saxophone backing and hard-hitting drums. The intensity sets the tone for what’s to come on the rest of this project impressively. “Athens, France” is our first exposure to Isaac Wood’s tormented vocals, which communicate their meaning impactfully. The instrumentation continues to wow throughout the track, as it never settles into a single identity. The closing jazz portion of this track is surprisingly calming, and it transitions well into track three.

“Science Fair” tackles a rather unexplored subject matter, which makes it all the more unsettling to listen to. Uncomfortably stacked electric guitars wail upon one another as the continuous drum backing never fails to continue on. The eventual synth breakdown is incredibly satisfying, as it definitely feels earned from the listener’s perspective. The end of this track is absolutely wild, as it feels like the entire band is playing their instruments as if they were at the forefront of the song. “Sunglasses” is arguably the band’s biggest single, and the album version was changed slightly from the original lyrics that took the internet by storm. Broken up into two parts, this song is one of the most exploratory on the album. Part one analyzes Isaac’s reluctance to age into what he sees as the worst characteristics of adulthood. Relatively relaxed instrumentation assists us along the way listening to Isaac’s struggles, but things take a positive shift toward the second act of the song. Isaac reflects on a mundane object that makes him feel better, which is the title sunglasses. As his confidence grows, he wishes that others could admire him. “I’m more than adequate, leave Kanye out of this” stands out as an especially memorable lyric on this great track.

“Track X” is the most understated song on the album, as it’s largely calm and atmospheric, especially when compared to the rest of the songs here. Mostly introspective and with some biblical imagery, this is a reprieve from the intensity of the surrounding tracks, which is especially needed before the closer. “Opus” finishes things off so intensely just as you start to think things are settling down. This song was supposedly written on the same day as “Instrumental,” which is insane yet believable. The angst on the track is palpable, and the horns ushering the song along are hypnotically relentless. The album ends just slowly enough to catch your breath and wonder where BC, NR will go from here.

This is a great debut album from a largely unknown group that I suspect will build a cult following of dedicated fans in no time. Every track is unique and intense in its own way, but not to the point that I haven’t had it on repeat since the project released. I highly suggest you check this one out.

Favorite tracks: “Instrumental”, “Athens, France”, “Sunglasses”, “Track X”, “Opus”

SCORE: 8/10

Super Bowl LV Prediction

The NFL season will come to an end tonight as the Kansas City Chiefs visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to compete for the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LV. Only one team will emerge victorious, and on paper, this is one of the most exciting match-ups in recent history. The greatest of all-time Tom Brady returns to the biggest stage for the tenth time against heir apparent Patrick Mahomes who hopes to lead his team to a repeat of last year’s Super Bowl victory. Besides the snacks, funny commercials, and what will likely be a spectacular halftime show from The Weeknd, I think this is going to be a great game. Now let’s get into my predictions.

After early indications of bad weather in Tampa Bay for this evening, where the Buccaneers will become the first team in Super Bowl history to host in their home stadium, the forecast now shows clear skies and ideal temperatures. I don’t think weather will impact this game. There will be another NFL history first tonight, as the big game will feature the two top passing offenses in the league, which has never happened before. I expect Andy Reid and Bruce Arians to dial up some creative passing plays and for both quarterbacks to break 300 yards through the air.

The Kansas City offense will need to be careful not to turn over the football, as the Buccaneers defense is one of the best in the league at creating takeaways. Mahomes is usually pretty reliably efficient and protective of the ball, though, so I don’t see the Buccaneers forcing more than one turnover tonight. A banged-up Kansas City offensive line may become the deciding factor because the Chiefs will be in trouble if Patrick Mahomes is constantly under pressure.

If this season has proven anything, it’s that these two teams are both completely worthy of making it to the biggest stage. Kansas City only lost one game with a majority of its starters in, and Tom Brady has proven his excellency by bringing his new team to the Super Bowl in his first season in Tampa Bay. Betting markets have the Chiefs as the narrow favorite -3, so it really does feel like a toss-up going into tonight.

Conventional wisdom tells me never to bet against Tom Brady, and I may be burned by that yet again this year, but I think the Chiefs find a way to get the win tonight. They are an offensive juggernaut hungry to prove that they are the next dynasty that will replace the incredible legacy that Tom Brady has established. I’m looking forward to every aspect of the game tonight, and my official prediction is that the Chiefs win 34-30. Who do you think gets the W tonight?

Album Review: OK Human - Weezer

Los Angeles-based rock band Weezer has returned with the released of their fourteenth studio album OK Human. The first of two album releases scheduled for this year, OK Human continues Weezer’s tradition of continual evolution and transformation. The group has phased through many identities throughout its length discography; some great, and some leaving much to be desired. Luckily, lead singer Rivers Cuomo and company’s efforts here pay off, as OK Human is a short-lived but very enjoyable bunch of tracks.

The project’s opening lead single “All My Favorite Songs” can only be described as ridiculously catchy. On this track, Rivers Cuomo cleverly discusses the sadnesses he faces in various aspects of his life. These dichotomies are delivered elegantly, culminating in a strikingly relatable chorus. The orchestral instrumentation throughout this project, like on this track, bring the band back to its fantastic roots. The second track, “Aloo Gobi”, is much more effective when its context is understood. Cuomo wrote this track in 2017 when reflecting on the mundanity of the routines in his life and a lack of enjoyment from what used to make him happy. Now though, in a post-COVID-19 world, this track is granted a layer of irony, because those “dull routines” Cuomo once decried are now the same ones he desperately wants to return to. Clever.

“Grapes Of Wrath” tells the story of Cuomo’s experiences with insomnia and eventually resorting to audiobooks in an effort to get to sleep. Cuomo has described half-sleeping states as mystical, because he is more easily able to imagine fictional worlds like those from 1984 and The Lord of the Rings, among others. The instrumentation is strong here, and so far, this is a solid Weezer album. It’s about time.

“Numbers” is a technological track one would expect featured on an album whose title references Radiohead’s 1997 classic OK Computer. Here, Cuomo reflects on his tendency to seek validation through intangible methods like social media likes. By the end, he suggests that the discomfort this brings can be combatted when we join together and seek meaningful relationships with others. The orchestral instrumental works yet again, and Rivers’ voice never gets old.

“Playing My Piano” allows Rivers to communicate the passion he still feels, all these years later, when doing his favorite activity. At under three minutes, this track certainly doesn’t overstay its welcome, but I almost wish there was another layer of complexity here to increase the track’s memorability. Overall, not bad. “Mirror Image” faces the same criticism from me, as it comes in at just over a minute long. Although it’s a heartfelt message about his wife Kyoto’s love, the track is too short to grow a strong connection with.

“Screens” is another direct critique of the role of technology in our modern lives. Cuomo is describing our overreliance on instant gratification delivered by social media, which is terrifying when analyzed too closely. He asks the question “Where will we be 21 years from now?”, which may live on as a haunting and prophetic lyric. I love the drums on this short track. “Bird With A Broken Wing” is one of my favorite tracks here, as it beautifully communicates finding contentment despite obstacles in life. This song can be interpreted in many ways, but I see it as the inevitability of us all coming to reality in relation to our dreams and finding beauty in our ability to contribute to the world around us. “I’m just a bird with a broken wing, and this beautiful song to sing / Don’t feel sad for me, I’m right where I want to be” is just incredible writing.

“Dead Roses” is one of the eeriest tracks on the album with a Beatles-like influence to my ears. I don’t have anything deep to say about this track besides that I enjoyed it very much. “Everything Happens For A Reason” is a quick instrumental bridge that transitions seamlessly into “Here Comes The Rain”, a clear play on The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun.” This track was apparently written for political commentator Sam Harris, whose opinions often vary from mine, but overall I appreciate this track for what it is. I certainly enjoy it more when the external context is removed. “La Brea Tar Pits” closes things out nicely and introspectively, as Cuomo finds himself sinking into the title tar pits and clamoring that there is so much more to live for despite all of the negatives this album has circled. Solid ending to a solid album.

While not as thematically cohesive as would have been ideal, and underdeveloped at times, this is one of Weezer’s best albums in some time. OK Human flows almost as one continuous song that covers a range of thought-provoking subjects in a sonically-pleasing manner. One of my favorite albums of 2021 so far, this record leaves me excited for the band’s upcoming album Van Weezer. Go give this a listen.

Favorite tracks: “All My Favorite Songs”, “Aloo Gobi”, “Grapes Of Wrath”, “Numbers”, “Screens”, “Bird With A Broken Wing”, “Dead Roses”, “La Brea Tar Pits”

SCORE: Light 7/10