A Reflective Lamentation

Following the success and acclaim of her last album, expectations were soaring for Lana Del Rey's latest musical venture, and the woman did not disappoint.

Chemtrails over the Country Club is the seventh studio album by Lana Del Rey, and it was released on March 19, 2021. While listening to it, my first impression was the similarity to its predecessor. Lana never fails to make the listener feel a series of polarised emotions based on her intuitive lyrics, and this album continues to evoke a sense of nostalgia just like her previous album. The sleek transition between each of the tracks made me feel like I was listening to an elongated story rather than separate tracks.

The lyrical content of this album was classic Del Rey, as she sings about troubled love, past and fame. In "Opener White Dress", she sings about her life as a waitress, wondering if she was better off and reminiscing about a different time in her life. What I love about Lana is how candid her lyrics are, and how she lures you into her space until you feel like you understand her completely. She sings about the dark side of fame in one of my favourite songs on the album, "Dark But Just a Game", where she claims that "their stories all end tragically… the best ones lose their minds."

Lyrically, the recurring theme of this album is sadness and melancholy, very much like her previous albums. However, Lana's songwriting seemed a bit more assured and definitely more intimate on this album. It was like taking a leap into her world or sneaking a look into one of the pages of her personal diary.

At some points, I felt like the album was a little too familiar-sounding, but a second listen definitely helped me to distinguish the differences. Maybe Lana Del Rey's sound has become too distinct, too recognisable – but it didn't get exhaustive as it helped to build her own world within her album. When someone hears a Lana Del Rey song, they will instantly know it is her.

There were country and folk influences in this album, which is always an auditory treat. The background instrumentation was more subtle than her previous albums. Ditching the orchestration, this album had more acoustic guitars and muted sounds. For me, this was a welcome change, as it helped to differentiate this album from her earlier work.

Dialling back on the melodrama a little, this album is like an after party – quieter, more relaxed but just as sincere, if not a little more personal. Chemtrails over the Country Club is an amazing listen as it showcases vulnerability and nostalgia painted within a very American fantasy.   

Durdana Kamal likes to engage in activities which mostly do not serve any purpose whatsoever. Contact me through kamal.durdana@gmail.com