SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LANA DEL REY – DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE’S A TUNNEL UNDER OCEAN BLVD

Lana Del Rey
Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
Polydor/Interscope

One of the most anticipated albums of 2023 is finally here. Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is the ninth release by Lana Del Rey, and if there is one album so far in 2023 that you listen to from start to finish, it is this one.

Del Rey continues to prove that she is one of the best songwriters of her generation. It is insane how great of a writer she is. “Grandfather Please Stand On The Shoulders Of My Father While He’s Deep-Sea Fishing” (featuring Riopy) is a very intimate and poetic song about grandfathers and fathers and has a spiritual undertone to it. In “Fingertips”, her storytelling is as vivid and vulnerable as ever. Almost every track on this album is a masterpiece in terms of songwriting.

Del Rey’s voice, as always, is magnificent. Her voice in “Paris, Texas” (featuring SYML) is gorgeous. In “Candy Necklace”, her soft voice is an excellent match for Jon Batiste’s much deeper voice. On each track, her voice is rich, ethereal, and haunting.

Not only is “A&W” one of Del Rey’s greatest hits, but it is also one of the best songs since the 2000s. Come awards season, I would expect it to get lots of love. The song is complex, has powerful and relevant lyrics, features Del Rey at arguably her most experimental, and feels like two compressed into one. The song opens up with a dark and brooding piano. A soft acoustic guitar also plays, giving it a folk sound. It is a classic Lana Del Rey song with an eerie edge. Her voice is as enchanting and glorious as ever too. However, once the second half begins, it becomes a completely different song. The second half ventures into hip-hop, industrial, and trap territory. Del Rey’s voice is sassy and full of energy. Lyrically, despite being repetitive, it is incredibly witty and features one of her most iconic lines to date: “Your mom called, I told her, you’re fucking up big time”.

Many artists are featured on the album, but the best is “Margaret” (featuring Bleachers). The duo of Del Rey and Bleachers lead singer Jack Antonoff (who also helped produce the album) is very comforting. The song also perfectly captures the feeling of finding or falling in love.

Clocking in at nearly 80 minutes, the album has some weak spots. “Fishtail” starts great, but the autotune, reverb, and production often overshadows Del Rey’s voice. “Judah Smith Interlude” feels out of place with the rest of the album and is way too long of a track. Peppers” (featuring Tommy Genesis) has some interesting production but tries to do too many things simultaneously. Ultimately it ends up being a bit too ambitious of a track.

Lana Del Rey’s latest album might not be her best, but not many albums this year will come close to topping it.

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