For those perpetually trapped living out their youth in the slim hope it rekindles some love for their life ahead, Blue Sky may linger as the studio behind Robots. It has nothing to do with Lana Del Rey, but who knows, maybe she too was influenced and enjoyed the works of Rodney Copperbottom. Written up for The New Look yet unable to escape the clutches of Jack Antanoff and his withering production, Rey is settling into these surprise bits and pieces nicely, the pomp and kick of these string wonders linger on. The sky smiles on and for much of Blue Skies there is a real sense of periodical tension to it. Saxophones filter through, strength in the quality of what sounds worthy of a title track rhythm.
If this is the case then good on The New Look for seeing reason. If not, then shame on them for enlisting Rey for anything but the lead piece. Written up to match the glamorous approach of Dior and its turn of popularity in the post-Second World War days, Blue Skies does hold within it a clear capturing of the times – almost to the point where Rey loses herself, and her voice, in it. Paris, Apple TV+ and The 1975, are all bits and pieces which feel like the slick and flash match-up which made the Dior boom happen. Maybe not The 1975, actually, but certainly Rey, whose feature here is a real mark of quality in a yet-to-be-released soundtrack laden with potential hits. When you enlist the big names of the here and now, there is an expectation to peddle some soundtracks too, and Blue Skies certainly has the feel of both the feature it is used in but also the period.
Whether it lends any further interest to Rey as she begins the run-up to a country-themed album is neither here nor there, we can simply sit in hope for Blue Skies to influence her in a way which brings on this turn of soft jazz classics. There is a timelessness to some of these TV songs, these made-for moments which are later lifted by the artist as an example of their dependable charm. Nick Cave should surprise nobody with his appearance here, an exceptionally prolific individual whose presence in other media rounds off an interplay Rey is now keen to pursue.
And rightly so. Those showtune 1940s qualities make themselves known, you can already picture the falling title cards, and the shadowy figures as the opening credits roll on by. Those little snippets of vocal interjection linger on just long enough to transition into the opening shots of this Ben Mendelsohn show. Anyway, that is not beside the point but it does drift from the fact Rey has crafted a solid effort. Her work is, as expected, a neat draw and Antonoff adds little. Recreating a period through modern sound is neatly wrapped as a package for Apple, and with the endless pockets of money they have it makes sense to get only the best. Lana Del Rey is certainly up there, and though Blue Skies may feel more like a snippet at times, it is a strong experience.
