Chemtrails Over the Country Club (2021)
I’ve been a Lana Del Rey fan since 2014. The haunting melodies and angsty lyrics of her first three studio albums appealed to my teenage self; the more hopeful songs on Lust For Life and Norman Fucking Rockwell! were a good soundtrack to my early twenties. I attended two of her concerts, I own her poetry book, and I’ve been looking forward to her latest album.
Chemtrails Over the Country Club was disappointing. There are songs on it that I enjoy, but I dislike this album as a whole. It’s not that it’s bad — it’s just not good.
Sonically, Chemtrails sounds a lot like Norman Fucking Rockwell! One its songs, “Wild At Heart,” even uses the melody of NFR’s “How to Disappear.” Both were produced by Jack Antonoff and were called “sister albums” by Del Rey. If anything, Chemtrails sounds like the B-side of NFR.
“White Dress,” the album’s newest single, is its weakest point. It reminds me of the May Jailer/AKA days, back before Elizabeth Grant became Lana Del Rey. Though I enjoy listening to her earlier albums — pre-Born to Die — that sound doesn’t work now. The whispery, baby voice and awkward lyrics (I mean, what is with the “men in the music business conference” lyrics?) make this a skip.
Still, there are moments I love on this album. “Tulsa Jesus Freak” and “Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost” are two of the strongest songs, with gorgeous melodies and familiar lyrics. Weyes Blood and Zella Day harmonize beautifully with Del Rey on “For Free,” a Joni Mitchell cover. Antonoff’s stripped-down production gives Chemtrails the folksy vibe that made its predecessor such a success.
I wish I loved Chemtrails Over the Country Club. Maybe this album just isn’t for me. Or maybe I’ve outgrown Lana Del Rey.
*This review was originally published by Katherine J. Zumpano
