Lana Del Rey, Chemtrails Over the Country Club Album Review

Lana Del Rey has arrived with her highly anticipated album Chemtrails Over the Country Club, and what a very difficult journey it’s been to get here. Lana had a lot of controversies this past year, said this album was going to be released in September of 2020 but nope, and honestly I kind of forgot why I was a huge Lana fan. I won’t go into detail of all the controversies and stupid stuff she did, because everyone has already talked about it, and I just want to focus on the album.

But one thing I would like to mention is the album cover:

...horrible. Lana why did you do this? I mean I know she wanted to include her friends and family, but like why couldn’t we have some color and vibrancy in the cover, and it would be cool if you were in the center, and if it wasn’t just a photo from the behind the scenes of the “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” music video.

Seriously I think this is one of the worst album covers I have ever seen….but...this cover lives up to the saying “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover” because although it is a crappy album cover, this album is fantastic. Although a messy era for Lana, this is an exquisite project and I want to talk about each song, and explain why I either loved, liked, or dislike the song. So let’s just begin.

White Dress

Lana knows how to open an album. She is the queen of openers on albums, and “White Dress” proves it. “White Dress” feels very bittersweet, yet hopeful and draws us a picture of young Lana working as a waitress and wanting to become a famous singer. This song is also just so whimsical, a little sweet, a bit somber, and overall romantic and hopeful. Not like a romance between two people, but romance with one’s self and in this song it feels like a love song to younger Lana. I love this song, and it sets the stage perfectly for the rest of the album

White Dress - 10/10

Chemtrails Over the Country Club

Onto the title track, and again it feels very whimsical, light, and sweet. Again it is also quite romantic, but this time is about the love she has for her friends and family. She mentions going to The Brentwood Market, swimming with her sister, and doing chores like laundry and just details the small moments that mean so much to her. It feels very serene and peaceful, and that’s probably where Lana feels the most peaceful, doing all these little things in life.. It also points out that Lana is a human like everyone else. Although she is a famous and acclaimed singer, she is still your average girl that enjoys watching late night TV and cleaning the house. This song serves to paint out all the little things Lana enjoys in life while also telling us that although she is a celebrity, she is still a person and not some sort of god. Just a woman that loves to sing.

Chemtrails Over the Country Club - 10/10

Tulsa Jesus Freak

A unique name for a unique song. This song is sombe and soft, yet sexy and seductive. It kind of reminds me of “Cherry” from Lust For Life because both songs deal with wanting to be young and free, but also have that sexiness to it. I am also a bit obsessed with the chorus and the line that says ‘Find your way back to my bed again, Sing me like a Bible hymn,’ It’s just so delicate yet seductive, and basically about how Lana wants to feel like she is being worshipped by her man. Then I love the post-chorus where she just echos ‘white hot forever’ and as she keeps repeating that line it gets more intense. I really love this song, with how sleek and sexy it is, and how soft it is.

Tulsa Jesus Freak - 10/10

Let Me Love You Like a Woman

I honestly don’t understand why Lana chose this to be one of the singles for the album. Along with the single cover, it is a bit lackluster. It is pretty, but that’s about it. The chorus or verse isn’t super interesting, and the only part I like is the bridge but still it falls a bit flat. I mean the song is listenable and pretty, but other than that it just didn’t click with me.

Let Me Love You Like a Woman - 7/10

Wild at Heart

“Wild at Heart” feels like an upgraded version of “Let Me Love You Like a Woman”. I can’t explain it, but this song just feels like an actual single compared to “Let Me Love You Like a Woman” and both have similar themes about love and just being true to yourself. “Wild at Heart” also reminds me a lot of “California” in Norman Fucking Rockwell, with how she layred her vocals in the chorus and how intense it is. I really enjoy this song, and focuses on someone she loves who makes her crazy and hoping that he will accept her true self. It also details her journey through music with lines like ‘What would you do if I wouldn’t sing for them anymore?’ and ‘The cameras have flashes, They cause car crashes, But I’m not a star.’ These lines showcase her path in music, and how some people only are in her life because of her success. She is asking in this song if she stopped singing or not a star anymore, if her lover will still stay with her. This song is both a love song, but also expresses her struggles in being a famous singer.

Wild at Heart - 9/10

Dark But Just a Game

This song is quite interesting, and the instrumental are quite intriguing. It keeps you a bit on your toe, because you can’t tell where it’s gonna go. Although the instrumental changes here and there, it all flows together so seamlessly. Also I love the theme of this song of how there is a lot of things to worry about and things to fear in the world, but still holding onto sweet things and surviving through the chaos. This song also reminds me of her Lizzy Grant days, and serves as a reminder that Lana never changed and always stay true to her roots. It is a bit weird, and it took a few listens for me to enjoy the song, but now I like it,, and it is a unique track.

Dark But Just a Game - 8.5/10

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

This is probably one of the saddest songs on the album. The opening line is ‘I’ve been wearing the same damn clothes for three damn days’ that is sung in a bit of an annoyed tone at herself. Throughout this song, it feels like she is struggling with getting old and accepting she deserves love. One of the lines even says, ‘The thing about men like you is you got a lot to say, But will you stay?’ and she is questioning her lover's intentions and if she deserves to be loved. It is a very beautiful track that is also a bit bittersweet, and I think this song is quite fascinating. One of Lana’s greatest strengths is how open and honest she is in her music, expressing her difficulties with herself, and she showed that strength in this gorgeous track.

Not All Who Wander Are Lost - 9/10

Yosemite

Finally Lana gave us Yosemite. It was supposed to be on Lust For Life, but I am glad it was saved for this record. It fits perfectly in this album, and is such a lovely song. I love how clear Lana's voice is on this track, and how it has a folky element to it. The lyrics are also great, with my favorite line probably being ‘Seasons will turn, The world will turn, The only thing we’ll turn is the pages of all the poems we burn.’ I also love the bridge where she distorts her voice a bit and it is quite clever because it sounds staticy and the literal one of the lines is ‘Television static was quite overwhelming’. I just love that little detail so much. This song is so pure and I am so glad she finally released this amazing track.

Yosemite - 10/10

Breaking Up Slowly

I was so confused when this song started, because it opens with this very rich and raspy voice that made me ask if this was Lana. Actually there is a feature with Nikki Lane who is a country artist, and she is credited for co-writing this song, but it doesn’t say she is featured. I don’t know if it was an error or not, but I am glad that we got this duet. Niki's voice is deeper and has a rasp to it that pairs well with Lana’s soft vocals. Especially when they both come together in the chorus, they just balance and empower each other’s voices so well. I love their voices so much, and I love the lyrics, especially the ending line that says, ‘It’s hard to be lonely, but it’s the right thing to do.’ It perfectly captures how much strength it takes to end a horrible relationship and serves as a reminder to do what is best for yourself. This song is very heavily country focused, but it makes sense because Niki is a country singer, and it works really well in this album. Overall, “Breaking Up Slowly” is a beautiful song with two beautiful voices.

Breaking Up Slowly - 10/10

Dance Till We Die

This song deals again with the struggle of getting old, and just enjoying all the people in Lana’s life. In the opening she mentions names like Joan, Stevie and Cory who I guess are her friends or family that she adores. She also mentions looking forward to people that will come into her life, like how she wants a daughter one day and sings, ‘Clementine’s not just a fruit, It’s my daughter’s chosen name,’ This song is mostly soft and slow, but it changes it up in the bridge and it picks up speed. It feels like she is singing in a jazz bar for some reason, and even her voice is a bit louder and loses a bit of control which makes it have more of a punch. This song feels like a love letter to all the people in her life, and you can just feel her emotions throughout the song.

Dance Till We Die - 9/10

For Free Ft. Zella Day and Weyes Blood

‘For Free’ is a cover of the classic 1970 song by Joni Mitchell, and I think Lana’s version is very pretty, but it just doesn’t stick to me. Also I know Lana loves to include covers of her favorite songs, but I don’t think this song is a good closer. I think “Dance Till We Die” should’ve been closer. Besides it being the last song on the album, I feel like Lana should have changed it up a little bit more. I do appreciate that Zella and Weyes are on this track, because all their voices play off of each other so well. Overall I think this is a pretty cover, very sweet and beautiful, but there’s not much else to say about this song. I like it, but I feel like it doesn’t fit as a closing track and the cover should’ve changed up the song a bit more.

For Free Ft. Zella Day and Weyes Blood - 8/10

Although surrounded by lots of controversy, Lana created another amazing album. It feels very sincere and it is a gorgeous project. I really enjoyed this album, and it might be in my top three albums of Lana’s.

Chemtrails Over The Country Club, Album - 9/10

Song Ranking:

1 - White Dress

2 - Yosemite

3 - Tulsa Jesus Freak

4 - Breaking Up Slowly

5 - Chemtrails Over the Country Club

6 - Wild at Heart

7 - Not All Who Wander Are Lost

8 - Dance Till We Die

9 - Dark But Just A Game

10 - For Free

11 - Let Me Love You Like a Woman