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It’s been an eventful twelve months for Lana Del Rey. Following the backlash to her now-infamous ‘question for the culture’ statement last summer, the American songstress has found herself caught up in one scandal after another. Controversy is nothing new for Del Rey, having been subject to intense media scrutiny ever since her emergence a decade ago. This long-running criticism seems to have been a major influence on her new record, Chemtrails Over the Country Club, as the singer explores her desire to move away from the glitz of life as a star in L.A.
Del Rey has teamed up once more with producer and Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff to create the follow-up to her widely lauded album, Norman F***ing Rockwell! NFR was a career high for her, as she finally received the seal of approval from music critics, many of whom had previously dismissed her music and style as inauthentic. On this new album, Del Rey begins to explore a new sound, infusing elements of country and folk as she starts a new chapter of her career.
Chemtrails opens with an instant classic for Del Rey, ‘White Dress’. She recalls her pre-fame life as a waitress, free from the pressures of the international music stage. Del Rey longs to experience this youthful anonymity once more, singing: “Made me feel like a god / It kinda makes me feel / Like maybe I was better off.”
Following this is ‘Chemtrails Over the Country Club,’ where Del Rey’s desire to escape is established as one of the album’s main themes. She longs to run away from her showbiz career and live a simple life in the country, reconnecting with nature and spending time with her friends and family. The minimal production from Antonoff is exquisite, slowly building to a soaring crescendo alongside Del Rey’s feathery vocals. As title tracks go, this is up there with the best of them.
‘Dark But Just a Game’ has already established itself as a fan favourite, no doubt due to its noirish tone and a Bowie-esque chorus. The heady beats show that Del Rey isn’t ready to abandon her hip-hop influences just yet, with the track providing a welcome tempo shift midway through the record. ‘Dance Till We Die’ is another standout moment, though not only on this album, but across Del Rey’s entire discography to date. The track starts as a typical Lana affair, with the singer reflecting on her many musical heroes, name dropping likes of Stevie Nicks and Joni Mitchell. It’s not until the bridge where Del Rey really takes the listener for a ride.
For the first time, we hear Del Rey truly projecting with her vocals, singing out with an abundance of confidence. After ten years of sultry crooning and delicate falsettos, hearing this energetic outburst is a welcome surprise, and one of the vocal highlights of the entire album.
There is an undeniable country influence throughout the record, especially on tracks like ‘Not All Who Wander Are Lost’ and ‘Yosemite’, where Del Rey relies on sparse acoustic accompaniment, simple harmonies, and folk lyrics to connect with the listener. On ‘Breaking Up Slowly’ Del Rey performs a mournful duet with country singer Nikki Lane, another straightforward but emotional track, as the duo reflect on the harsh reality of a failing relationship. The album closes with featured appearances from some more of Del Rey’s musical friends, Zella Day and Weyes Blood, as the trio perform a sublime cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘For Free’.
Chemtrails Over the Country Club is a welcome evolution for Del Rey, showing a commitment to exploring new styles and themes. It might not replicate the initial wow factor of Norman F***ing Rockwell!, but after a few listens you’ll find that it’s just as compelling, and expertly crafted. It seems as though we are truly entering the golden age of Del Rey’s music career, and with the release of her next record Rock Candy Sweet just around the corner, Del Rey is on track to dominate the alternative music scene this year.
