Melodrama

*"also why is norman fucking rockwell not on spotify*

*ope that’s lana del rey not lorde*

*learning i get them confused"*

*--Cam Cain*

**Melodrama** is the second studio album by Lorde. It was reviewed by Cam per the request of Zane, who declared it to be the female Pinkerton. It was reviewed on 6-20-22 and 6-23-22, interrupted after Track 2 by Cam's lack of signal in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. It is the first and so far only non-Weezer album reviewed by Cam. He largely enjoyed the album, although he found it much more difficult to be critical of Lorde than Weezer.

## Cam's Review

### Introduction

#### Track 1: Green Light

“She thinks you love the beach, you’re such a damn liar.” I like the piano. Wow she just hit a very low note. I like how this is building. Oh I’m enjoying this. She has a really wide vocal range. I think I like this better than any song on the most recent weezer ep. Realizing it’s harder to critically analyze than a weezer album. But I thoroughly enjoyed this song, and I’m excited for what’s to come.

9/10

#### Track 2: Sober

Oooh it’s got the E for Explicit. This one’s going to be spicy. Are those bongos? “My hips have missed your hips.” Not sure I like those “aaah”s. Hey some instrument I like! Wondering if this one’s really going to go somewhere, because it’s not really yet. I’m not sure if there’s a chorus either. This one wasn’t the most interesting to me

5/10

#### Track 3: Homemade Dynamite

Oh another dangerous one! The chorus is pretty catchy. She’s really doing that Lorde voice. Well, yeah. I’m not sure I like the little bridge into the chorus. Hehe I do like the little boom whisper. How is she making the dynamite? Is the point of homemade dynamite that it’s worse than store bought dynamite? Either way it’s a catchy song

6/10

#### Track 4: The Louvre

I’ve never been to the Louvre. Is this about her vacation? I hope she’s not taking her homemade dynamite to the louvre to blow up the Mona Lisa! She did just say boom boom boom boom. I hope this song goes somewhere because it’s got some solid buildup. Ooooh pretty guitar. It really should have gone bigger right here in the second chorus. Or after. It kinda fizzled out. I do like the line where she says it’s the back but who cares it’s still the louvre.

5/10

#### Track 5: Liability

This album is telling a story about her taking out liability insurance after blowing up the louvre. I do like this one so far. Cute little slow one. I like whatever instrument just came in. We’re going to watch her disappear into the sun. Poor gal

7/10

#### Track 6: Hard Feelings/Loveless

This could be an alternate title for the last one. I liked that little guitar into the chorus. There are parts of this song I love and parts I don’t love. Lots going on in it. That bridge kinda sounds like squeaky gym shoes. Oh hey it just became very different. She just did the big In the Air Tonight drum break. Not sure why these song chunks were combined together. At the same time I liked and didn’t like this. At a point I thought this would be a 7 but then it got weird in a way I may need to listen to a second time.

5/10

#### Track 7: Sober II (Melodrama)

Hey that’s the name of the album! I like when songs have sequels. I listened to the first one three days ago so it feels a little removed. But I like it. I really like it. I really like everything except for that trap drum beat that just came in. It’s a pretty little hangover long after Sober I to presumably open up side 2 of the album.

8/10

#### Track 8: Writer in the Dark

I hope she wrote this one in the dark. Why do i rue the day I kissed a writer in the dark? Wow she’s showing off some serious vocal range in this one. This is one I wouldn’t listen to on its own but I like it in the context of this album. I’m liking the ones like this more than the poppy ones. Except for Green Light which slaps.

7/10

#### Track 9: Supercut

I hope this one’s just all the previous songs cut together. I like the piano in the background of the chorus and I’m glad it’s not much louder than it is. Yeah this is one I could see myself not thinking about for a while but then singing randomly 3 days from now. I really like it. I think it’s the second best one so far. Oh how is there still a minute left? I guess it’s just a long fade out. But I like the song so I like that part.

8/10

#### Track 10: Liability (Reprise)

Interesting choice. It sounds nice but I’m not sure why it exists. Although I guess anything that sounds nice in the middle of an album can’t be a bad thing.

6/10

#### Track 11: Perfect Places

I guess we’re getting close to the end. I’ve noticed I feel way more comfortable being snarky about Weezer than about Lorde. I wonder what it would take for me to give a song here a 2. I don’t really know what my scale is. Now this is a big chorus. “Let’s kiss and then take off our clothes.” This is catchy. Is there a discordant piano somewhere in there? Ohhh at the end she’s saying that there aren’t perfect places and it was a waste of time! Very fun. My guess is the next one’s going to be a real downer of a finale and I’m here for it.

7/10

Wait no that was the last one

### Conclusion

I liked a lot of this! It’s not really what I normally listen to, so I’m not really sure what sort of scale to use. There were a lot of catchy things. I don’t really understand what she’s saying most of the time, so I can’t really speak to it being the female Pinkerton. My favorites were Green Light and Supercut. There were also some parts i wasn’t feeling, but overall I’d say i definitely enjoyed Melodrama.