by Isabelle Zarrin
22 year old Lindsey Jordan, better known as Snail Mail, has just recently released her sophomore album titled Valentine. The album contains themes of heartbreak, angst, and lovesickness and withholds a consistent sound through all 10 songs. The album name comes from the project’s first track, also titled Valentine. Lindsey knew she wanted to name the album after the first track because of how utterly heartbreaking and on brand it was for her.
Snail Mail’s first album, Lush, was released mid 2018 and production wise is quite different from her latest project. Hearing Lindsey’s sound change between albums shows her personal growth in a very unique way. For example, track two, titled Ben Franklin, is very different from most of Lindsey’s music. She has expressed what her goals were with the song in recent interviews, stating that she “wanted to sonically and lyrically get out of [her] comfort zone with Ben Franklin.”
Lindsey got her start in the music industry around 2016. She started her solo project “Snail Mail” and released her first EP Habit after playing some live shows the year prior. Many consider Snail Mail’s music to be nostalgic due to its 90’s inspired instrumentals and vocals. Some may compare her music to Fiona Apple, Avril Lavigne, The Cranberries, and more.
As a new Snail Mail listener, I was pleasantly impressed with her work on Valentine. My personal favorite songs off the album were Light Blue, Automate, and Mia. Each track from this project felt so personal, exposing Lindsey’s vulnerable side. The album had a consistent and cohesive sound with an effortless flow to it. However, none of the songs sounded so similar that they felt repetitive. Each track was unique and told its own story with creative lyrics to fit the mood. Overall, Snail Mail’s new album Valentine is a wonderful, clever, and personal project which is made very clear all the way through.