Lana del Rey Is Back (Even Though She Never Left)
The "Blue Banisters" video is rife with a Southwest-Instagram-influencer-with-550k-followers-dabbling-with-trad-wife-aesthetics schtick.
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Man, IDK: Lana Del Rey, “Blue Banisters” — I love Lana del Rey, so I’m pained to admit that “Blue Banisters” just isn’t hitting for me. I mean, maybe Lana’s Southwest-Instagram-influencer-with-550k-followers-dabbling-with-trad-wife-aesthetics schtick just isn’t for me, and that’s the only way I can describe the music video (and all her recent music videos, frankly). But even ignoring the visuals, the song simply… bores me. I’ll admit, it sounds very pretty, at moments. The first line, where Lana delivers a frank description of a photo of herself sitting on a John Deere, demands attention, and I gave it to her. But, after the 45-second mark, I lost focus — and not just because I’ve run out of my ADHD meds. The release of “Blue Banisters” accompanies an album by the same name, Lana’s second this year. Her songwriting and storytelling abilities have demonstrably improved since her early albums, that much is clear, even with these sleepy new songs of hers. It’s why I’m disappointed that upon my first couple of listens, the only tracks that managed to move me were “Dealer” and the last half of “Wildflower Wildfire.”
Maybe I just need to give it more time to settle in. Or maybe I’ll cut my losses and see what Lana’s next album yields. —Ashley Reese