Wednesday 12 September 2018

New Music: Lana Del Rey - Mariners Apartment Complex


Whatever you think about Lana Del Rey, one thing she can’t be criticised for is her work rate. Since her 2012 breakthrough Born to Die she has released albums with, by modern standards, lightning quick efficiency. If you include the Paradise Edition of Born to Die, which in effect was another whole album on its own, she has put out 5 albums in 5 years between 2012 and 2017. 

Then just when we all thought we might have been able to throw the ‘Lazy Lana’ tag at her in 2018, she’s back. 

There won’t be an album till next year though, but for now here is the first of 2 new songs that Lana is releasing in the next few days. The second, Venice Bitch follows on September 18th - although the words Venice Bitch also feature in the lyrics to this new song, which is somewhat confusing!

It’s probably fair to say that if you don’t like Del Rey’s previous work this one is unlikely to sway you. However, if you do, then Mariners Apartment Complex, co-written and produced with Jack Antonoff from Bleachers (who worked on Taylor Swift’s 1989 and Lorde’s Melodrama – two of my favourite pop records from the last few years) is likely to get your approval. It has mine. 

Opening with a sense of grandeur through piano, strings and acoustic guitar we find Lana referencing Elton John: “You took my sadness out of context, at the mariners apartment complex, I ain't no candle in the wind,” and then a song of pure beauty slowly unfurls over the next 4 minutes. This one is pretty faultless - even theclosing steely but woozy psychedelic guitar sounds. The whole thing is totally Lana and totally lovely. 

Lana Del Rey - Mariners Apartment Complex

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