As a longtime fan of Lana Del Rey, I was highly anticipating the release of her new album titled “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.” The track list was just as long as the album title featuring 16 new songs. This album explored new genres and styles while maintaining Del Rey’s signature style found throughout all her albums, especially from her 2019 album Norman F***ing Rockwell. Here are some of the standout songs as well as my thoughts on the album as a whole.
Fishtail was my favorite track after my initial listen and remains to be my favorite on the album. The soft piano in this song is juxtaposed with the beat drop for the chorus in which Del Rey exhibits beautiful vocals and harmonies. The lyrics tackle the difficult situation of realizing a relationship has become toxic but continuing to ignore the red flags. The chorus shifts to a more empowering voice that calls out the toxic partner and begins to address some of the problems.
Peppers feat. Tommy Genesis is another standout song on Ocean Blvd. It is the most upbeat dance song on the album and has a catchy chorus that you can’t help but sing along with. Many of the lyrics in this song are funny and random which adds to the appeal. It is definitely a fan favorite.
Fingertips was not an immediate favorite for me, but after I listened a couple more times, I believe it is one of the best written tracks on Ocean Blvd. This song deals with heavy topics from Del Rey’s past involving her family, serious mental health problems, and death. The amazing vocals on this song are paired with beautiful instrumentals that build up as the song continues. The most notable part of this song are the free-flowing lyrics that focus more on storytelling than the common song structure.
Ocean Blvd. has a concept album feel to it with recurring themes involving religion and her family members. The two interludes add to this feeling with one of them being a church sermon with music in the background and Del Rey talking rather than singing. The instrumental in the other interlude reminds me of Pink Floyd, especially with the randomness and laughter. The ridiculously long titles of some of the tracks are an interesting stylistic choice that brings curiosity to fans, such as Grandfather please stand on the shoulders of my father while he’s deep-sea fishing.
Several notable artists featured on this album including Father John Misty and Bleachers. Del Rey references songs and lyrics from her own albums over and over again, and the closing song Taco Truck ends with a remix of her song Venice B*tch from NFR. She also references Aerosmith lyrics in the song Let the Light in and the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Peppers.
Overall, I really enjoyed this album and it’s worth a listen. I already love it, and it’s a great addition to Del Rey’s discography.