#john batiste interlude

[grantscherubs]

'𝔄𝔪𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔠𝔞𝔫 𝔅𝔢𝔞𝔲𝔱𝔶 (1999)'

[laurelhare]

ok there are good parts of this album let's not lose hope

[fantastickkay]

Album Review of the Week: Lana Del Rey - Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (2023) ☆☆☆☆

LDR's ninth album opens with The Grants whose intro reflects a rehearsal of background singers which then morphs into a relaxed piano ballad. Her vocals are strong and better than ever thus far. The track swells into an emotionally gripping crescendo as the background singers take their posts, the piano grows more insistent and strings begin.

The album's title track Did You Know That There's A Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard is next. The vocals are not quite as clear, we get back to the mumbling that tends to plague LDR tracks. Meanwhile, the melody flows like a swirl of autumn leaves on a soft, windy day. The pleading cries of "when's it gonna be my turn / don't forget me" echo throughout the track and again swells into a driving chorus, really folding you into this soundscape that is being introduced to you.

Sweet continues the piano ballad streak, it's a bit more sleepy and not quite as gripping as its predecessors.

A&W was the second single for this album and what made me interested in hearing the entire project (I tend to skip some LDR releases, mostly because it's hard to keep up with!) The second half is what gripped me at first but the more I listened to it, the more I appreciate the entire seven minute track. Something about the melody when she says "this is the experience of being an American whore" just really snaps you into it, as do the urgent high notes in the verses. Once we hit the four minute mark, the bass comes in and I was like 👀, excuse me... hello! After lamenting trouble finding love due to her apparent promiscuity, we get into a sassy moment where she tells them they're f*king up big time! And then I find myself bopping big time to a Lana Del Rey song, which doesn't happen too often just because they don't usually go this hard!

the judah smith interlude is an instant skip, bye. i hate the yelling!

Saving the moment, Candy Necklace comes in. The piano on this one is absolutely haunting. The music video definitely made me pay more attention to this track. I love the chorus's melody and how it quickens pace throughout. The piano solo is so incredibly gorgeous! This is followed by the Jon Batiste Interlude, he was featured on the previous track, and we get more of that haunting piano which is really great. It is also accompanied with studio chatter and some playful vocals from our main songstress.

With Kitsugi, we enter a portion of the album that doesn't have a lot of re-listen value to me. I'll play the songs when listening to the album in full but I don't think about them otherwise, just too slow! Maybe it is leftover fatigue, but Fingertips is somehow less interesting.

Paris, Texas picks things up with an interesting piano riff and vocals that closely follow its melody in a music-box fashion. One can nearly picture a ballroom waltz.

And now, for a title so long you cannot even read it in Spotify if you tried! Grandfather Please Stand On the Shoulders of My Father While He's Deep Sea Fishing. It has an almost movie-like quality as it picks up, almost feels like you are entering a fantasy world. Perhaps, an ocean that you can fly and breathe in, enjoying the scenery and wildlife around you.

Let the Light In is a good medium between the sleepy ballads and something that makes you pay attention. It is a sweet duet with Father John Misty that makes me think of a sleepy morning with the one you love!

Margaret takes a while to grab my attention, but I do really like the ending with spoken word and then the background singers become more prominent. That brings a more casual feel to end this string of more serious tunes. I really like the piano as it fades out as well.

Fishtail brings some bass back into the equation and even has some vocal effects which is unusual!

Okay, now we get into the fun part and the REASON I went straight to Target after work the day this came out. Peppers! The energy, the reverb, the beat, the hook. I never thought I would hear Lana Del Rey chant "hands on my knees" let alone follow it with "angelina jolie". I can see this being a great end-of-the-night cool-down track at the club. And then it takes another turn with a 60s bass line?? Ugh, so good.

Taco Truck x VB is my favorite track off of this album. What a closer! The instrumentals are absolutely fantastic. Spoiler alert - let me tell you when it morphed into Venice Bitch I lost my damn mind!!! That is one of my favorite songs of all time and having a "mini" version is so much fun as well as the fact that it was spiffed up a bit.

One thing I don't really love about this album is how the volume fluctuates, that is a big pet peeve of mine. It is very quiet and then we get to a song's climax and suddenly I have to scramble to turn it down a bit!

Although I do feel this album is a bit bloated and could lose a few tracks, the ones that I enjoy are songs that I kind of cannot stop listening to and this album has been in the back of my mind ever since it came out. I really wish I could appreciate Lana Del Rey the way that I know a lot of her fans do, but even though I am not there she still fascinates me a great deal.

While most of this album is the usual fare, there is a lot more experimenting as well which I absolutely love and hope to see more of in the future!

[misssolitudesmusicblog]

My Music for March 2023

Dear Tumblr,

They don’t call it March Madness for no reason, believe me this month was complete and utter madness. I went through a whirlwind of emotions. It was really the passing of my grandma that caught my family and me off guard. No one thought she would be taken out from under us, in a brief moment it happened so fast and at that moment her heart gave out. I couldn't believe it and I’m still in shock. My grandma was very dear to me and I’ve been grieving and going through the motions of her loss. The music I have been listening to has been very therapeutic and has brought that healing feeling I’ve been aligning to. I wasn’t joking when I mentioned in a previous blog that the leading ladies were back at it again. With Kali Uchis and Lana Del Rey both dropping their albums in March, the Top Songs for 3.2023 playlist on Spotify is lit and jammed packed with new music that was released this month among other songs I fell in love with while listening to my Spotify Discover Weekly.  Shout out to Kali Uchis for putting her whole love and couchie in Red moon In Venus. Shout out to Princess Nokia for “i love you but this is goodbye” the album that brought closure to that situation that you didn’t think you needed. Last but not least, shout out to the Queen and mother to us all Lana Del Rey. The song Grants couldn’t have come at a better time in my life. The lyrics hit close to home. The lyric in particular, “My grandmother’s last smile I’m gonna take that too with me It’s a beautiful life” It’s these music synchronicities that tell me everything is going to be okay. The reason why I take time to share the music is important because you don’t know how impactful a song can be to a person who can relate to the music or feel understood in the poetry of that artist. Anyways here is the link for March music on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Q3s9yQvOZANGV8r5bRdxg?si=f850cbb0801644af

Without further adieu coming in at … 

71. Jon Batiste Interlude by Lana Del Rey

70. Bigger Pictures by Atmosphere

69. Night Vision by Mareux

68. Left Behind by The Plot In You

67. Locked out of Heaven by Gideon

66. Me Matas by Eslabon Armando

65. Plane Vs. Tank Vs. Submarine by Tigers Jaw

64. Stop the Fucking Gar by Circa Survive

63. Spirit Desire by Tigers Jaw

62. 70s Haze by VIKA

61. You’re Gonna Miss Me by 13th Floor Elevators

60. Mr. delivery man by ExistentialBeing, Kota the Friend, OGP!nkboi

59. Missing My Exxx by HYMN.

58. More Than Friends by Indie Anthony

57. Colour of Joy by DILLY DALLY

56. Live Your Fantasy by Israel’s Arcade

55. Where Have All My Friends Gone?

54. Happy by CLIP

53. Lua by Bright Eyes

52. Lions by Tune-Yards

51. Yellow Brick Road by Sudan Archives

50. MONA LISA by Tei Shi

49. BAD FRUIT* by Jean Dawson, Earl Sweatshirt

48. Since I Have A Lover by 6LACK

47. The Mourning After by Mac Miller

46. STILL C U by Jessie Reyez

45. Hola Soledad- Cover by Ragnunath

44. NN12 by Julian Dysart

43. Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes

42. ルージュの伝言 by Yumi Arai

41. Bound by Dana and Alden

40. Soulful Strut by Young-Holt unlimited

39. Glorious Game by El Michels Affair, Black Thought, KIRBY

38. I Am Progress by Prozack Turner, The Grouch, Deuce Eclipse

37. Birds by Daisha McBride

36. The Party by Portraits Of Tracy

35. The God hour by A$AP ANT, A$AP Rocky

34. NASTY by Russ

33. Diana by Armani Caesar, Kodak Black

32. Can I by Kehlani

31. Red Ruby Da Sleeze by Nicki Minaj

30. Hasta Cuando by Kali Uchis

29. Come Te Quiero Yo by Kali Uchis

28. Love Between… by Kali Uchis

27. The Way by Manchester Orchestra

26. Lose You Again by Manchester Orchestra

25. Quietly by Manchester Orchestra

24. Yellow Love by Citizen

23. The Tide by Hit-Boy, Nas

22. But You Alexandra Savior

21. Candy Necklace by Lana Del Rey, Jon Batiste

20. Let The Light In by Lana Del Rey, Father John Misty

19. Fishtail by Lana Del Rey

18. Blue by Kali Uchis

17. Deserve Me by Kali Uchis, Summer Walker

16. Not Too Late (interlude) by Kali Uchis

15. lUcky girl synDrome by Tommi Aura

14. Just A Girl by Florence + the Machine

13. Letting Go Manchester Orchestra

12. Freak In Me by Mild Orange

11. Love Is Only a Feeling by HOMESHAKE

10. Up In The Sky by Emilee Moore

9. As The Sun Sets by Sorry

8. Happy by Princess Nokia

7. Angels & demons by Princess Nokia

6. Worth the wait by Kali Uchis, Omar Apollo

5. The Grants by Lana Del Rey

4. Moral Conscience by Kali Uchis

3. Taco Truck x VB by Lana Del Rey 

2. Lo siento by Princess Nokia

1. Peppers by Lana Del Rey, Tommy Genesis

Thank you for tuning in.

Sincerely,

Miss Solitude 

[andrigyn]

Here’s my Ocean Blvd Ranking:

1. John Batiste Interlude / Candy Necklace (I cried at this point it was so beautiful)

2. Let the Light In

3. Margaret

4. Paris, Texas

5. Fishtail

6. A&W

7. Sweet

8. Peppers

9. The Grants

10. Grandfather please stand

11. Kintsugi

12. Taco Truck

13. Did you know there’s a tunnel under ocean blvd

[evermoredeluxe]

unfortunately lana doesn't go it for me at all. I tried listening to this album but the interludes especially that pastor's sermon was a huge turn off,can't listen to any of her albums in one sitting.

yes neither the jon batiste nor the judah smith interlude work for me personally (im just not an interlude type of girl). father john misty is just doing the bg vocals in the chorus of let the light in so i don’t mind that lol. anyway, she doesn’t work for lots of people (i know some people don’t like the poetry over long piano chords style) and i totally get that. there are some of her songs im meh about but i appreciate her art overall and the “albums as a whole rather than the song” approach

[humaningenuity]

The Review of A New Record

By Mauricio Torres, Lana's #1 fanboy

Artist: Lana del Rey

Label: Interscope Records

Album: Did you know that there’s a tunnel under ocean blvd

★★★★★

Firstly we start off with a trio of very soft melodies that are heavy focused on piano sonically, introducing us to this album with a very personal deep message in each one of the songs, making us think that this new record will be one of the most personal album releases from Miss Rey, moving on we have one the most surprising and experimental songs from her she’s ever released, A&W, this song in specific starts off as a more chaotic piano melody but halfway through the song, it transitions to a heavy trap beat and Lana rapping a little bit, overall this song in specific made us think twice about how this album is gonna go. After those 4 songs, we have a trio of songs that are a very interesting combination inside the whole album, probably the most intriguing songs, "Judah Smith Interlude", "Candy Necklace", "John Batiste Interlude", this is a very haunting, weird-ish sound, with a bit of electric guitar, piano and vocals, going into a way darker and personal rout.

Moving on to the seventh and eighth song of the album, "Kintsugi" and "Fingertips", these are the most personal and deep songs in the album, both incorporating the death aspect of your loved ones, or for yourself, kintsugi encompasses the family aspect of Miss Rey and talking about some of her family members passing away and not being able to be there for them, and fingertips is focused more on herself and how she wanna to take her own life away due to personal struggles.

Then we move to "Paris,Texas", "Grandfather please stand over the shoulders of my father while he’s deep sea fishing", "Let the light in", after a deep dive into the last 2 songs, these other 3 songs are more of an uplifting message, making us go in a rollercoaster of emotions, all the way from being very excited, to very sad, to very relieved from this whole story that’s being told, moving on to "Margaret", this song is the end of the uplifting chapter of this story, talking about the producer of this album fiancé, Margaret, this is a very wholesome story about how they met and how they started to bond throughout their life.

And to finish off, we got "Fishtail", "Peppers" and "Taco Truck x VB", this trio are the upbeat bops, all the way from a trap with heavy auto tune effects, to rap and heavy drums, all the way to a remix and a Spanish influence, these 3 songs are the perfect finishers for this album.

Overall this album is has an amazing storyline of showcasing Lana del Rey’s most personal and vulnerable moments, this encompasses the softer and relatable side on Lana to some degree, this album is one of the best albums I’ve ever heard, and it definitely is worth to listening to it.

[m4zzystar]

id go into cardiac arrest if i heard candy necklaces + john batiste interlude live

[samismusicjournal]

Lana Del Rey’s “Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd”

1. The Grants

I love how Lana is already using her true vocal potential. She’s not holding back like she does when she’s singing more stylisticly. I love the almost country John Denver-esque refrain this song has.

2. Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd

This is such a sad sentiment. To me and according to some research I did, she is worrying about being thrown away and discarded like the tunnel under Ocean Blvd, which is a real tunnel actually. It’s called the Jergins Tunnel. This is a really beautiful song though. I had already heard it when it came out and I was not very into it when I first heard it. Now I seem to be in a more receptive mood since the whole album is out and the songs are in context.

3. Sweet

I feel like I just got to heaven and all my dead relatives are greeting me. The song sounds so airy and cloud-like. 

4. A&W

I have had a real hot affair with this song, which is funny because the title fits so well *wink wink*. I listened to it maybe a day after it came out, and immediately I thought, “There’s something really cool about this song and I don’t know how to explain it.” It’s a good mix of an acoustic, moody track to a song you can’t help but nod your head to while you listen to it in the car. It goes from ballad to banger. I read online that this song can be described as a rant track, and I would agree with that but in the best way. 

5. Judah Smith Interlude

Didn’t make a ton of sense to me why this song was there unless it was just a sermon that particularly resonated with Lana. Based on what I’ve read, this preacher that the song name and sermon are taken from, has some shitty beliefs, so I’m not sure how I feel about her giving him a platform unless Lana agrees with him. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but it just didn’t sit right with me while I listened to it, and I listened to ALL of it.

6. Candy Necklace (feat. Jon Batiste)

There’s something nightmarish and haunting about this song. Maybe it’s the fact that a candy necklace seems like such an innocent thing, yet in this song it’s an abusive relationship that she just can’t seem to bring herself out of. She’s addicted to his “candy necklaces.” I personally think candy necklace could be an allegory to hickeys, but it also means his “love”. Spooky song.

7. Jon Batiste Interlude

Immediately I love the chord progression. It’s one of those progressions that I could listen to by itself for a really long time and not get bored. I would love to see this, what appears to be a brainstorm track, realized into a fully-produced track. It has fantastic potential.

8. Kintsugi

Maybe this is a song that will resonate with me in five years after everyone’s forgotten about it. That seems to happen to me a lot more often than you think. I just don’t really feel anything towards it yet. It’s not a bad song, I just feel neutral towards it.

9. Fingertips

I admire that this song doesn’t follow a traditional structure. It’s a very sad look into Lana’s innermost thoughts. It very much feels like a stream of consciousness which can make it harder to follow, but overall I think I can understand what’s being said.

10. Paris, Texas (feat. SYML)

Immediately, there’s something very whimsical about this song. It’s one of those pieces that I imagine someone using a spinning wheel to. I love the 3/4 time too, I think it adds to the whimsicality of the song. It’s a good piece about moving on almost with a nomadic feel to it. Added it to my witchy playlist.

11. Grandfather please stand on the shoulders of my father while he’s deep-sea fishing (feat. RIOPY)

This almost feels like a piece from a prog-rock opera, if such a thing exists. I also love the spiritual implications with the “3 white butterflies to know you’re near.” My mom always looks at butterflies as signs from spirits, and while I don’t know if every butterfly is a sign, I believe that some of them are when they’re in the right scenario, so this song resonates with me in that way.

12. Let the Light In (feat. Father John Misty)

“Flirtatious” is the word that first came to mind when I heard this song. The instrumentation is so flowy, it reminds me of the beach in a way. To me, this song depicts a relationship with its good parts and the negative parts. There are some parts that are very risque and very trademark for Lana, like the line, “You know I got nothin’ under this overcoat.” It’s cool to see a woman embracing sexuality and not being ashamed of it.

13. Margaret (feat. Bleachers)

This is such a sweet song, and the context in which it was written makes it even sweeter. It was written about Bleachers’ fiancee, and he wanted it to be played at their wedding. I don’t know why, but this elicited such an emotional reaction for me. I think maybe because it’s really about finding your soulmate, and that’s what everybody wants. This is one of my favorites from the album for sure.

14. Fishtail

This is a good heartbreak song. And I like that it strays from the more acoustic sound we’ve heard for most of the album. It’s a good middle finger to someone who’s trying to bring you down and butter you up at the same time, i.e. braiding your hair and wanting you to be sadder. 

15. Peppers (feat. Tommy Genesis)

This is just a fun, feel-good song that feels like it’s all about freedom and not giving a shit. Not quite as compelling as A&W, but I can appreciate it.

16. Taco Truck x VB

I love the instrumentation in the Taco Truck portion of the song. And the vocals are really alluring too. And then it goes into an alternate version of Venice Bitch (hence “VB”) which is from one of my favorite Lana Albums, Norman Fucking Rockwell! which was part of the soundtrack to my freshman year of college admittedly.

Final Thoughts

This album is absolutely a success for Lana. I know a lot of people haven’t been as happy with some of her more recent albums like Blue Banisters and Chemtrails Over the Country Club because they lack Lana’s moody, romantic sound that her original albums had. However, I think she’s circled back to that vibe in Ocean Blvd while also exploring the acoustic ballad side of her abilities. Lana’s vocals really break through in this album, but they also harken back to her older style. This is especially seen in songs like Candy Necklace, where her voice almost sounds resigned and hopeless. Her more feminine, fluttery vocals come through in songs like the John Batiste Interlude and Ocean Blvd. I’ll definitely be listening to this album for a while. All the songs have something great to offer, whether it’s expertly-crafted instrumentals, powerful vocals, or a deep story. It’s good to have some new Lana work in my life again.