Sirens (May Jailer album)

Sirens is an unreleased demo album by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey, under the pseudonym May Jailer. It was recorded in 2005. The entire album was leaked through YouTube in May 2012.^[1]

Composition

Composed entirely of acoustic tracks, the album is devoid of the hip hop beats, electronic tones, and experimental music found on Born to Die.^[2][3][4] The vocals are "granola-style". Most of the album's songs have the same tempo.^[5]

Critical reception

Tom Breihan of Stereogum said it was not confirmed whether the tracks were recorded by Del Rey, but if they were not, they were believable fakes.^[6] Over acoustic guitar, the vocals are tremulous and full of "languid mystique", he said, noting that they are "...a different sort of fragile Lee Hazlewood narco-haze vibe."^[6] Idolator likened the Jailer album to Jewel's debut, Pieces of You.^[2] Further, Idolator said: "Though her vocals are often weak and shaky, her tone sounds delicate and sweet on all these simple tracks...[The] songs [are] written in her range, so she doesn't have to sing (and sing-talk) in her head voice and resort to that cutesy, flirty baby coo so prominent throughout Born To Die."^[2] Pop Crush reviewer Amy Sciarretto said she could imagine Del Rey singing the album's tracks in a coffeehouse. Calling the tracks themselves "folky and fragile", Sciarretto noted that they did not even come close to comparing to the synthesizer-heavy songs on Born to Die.^[5] Further, she likened Del Rey's voice to that of a "little bird", saying it was no wonder that songs called "Birds of a Feather" and "Aviation" appeared on the album.^[5]

Track listing

Track listing attained from an NME article.^[7]

All tracks written by Elizabeth Grant. 

References