Snail Mail ‘Valentine’ Review: The Antithesis of a Sophomore Slump aka The Quintessential BreakUp Album
Snail Mail, ‘Valentine’ (2021), Background Image
When Lindsey Jordan released her second album under the moniker, “Snail Mail” on Friday November 5th, critics went wild and for good reason. Not only was it the return of a young female singer/songwriter who had established herself as someone with immense talent to watch out for with her debut album, ‘Lush’, but the singles she had released were only just the sweet beginning to an album that will become a quintessential soundtrack for every breakup.
‘Headlock’ follows the outline that singles ‘Valentine’, ‘Ben Franklin’ and ‘Madonna’ set forth. These songs share an upbeat musicality that hides the heart wrenchingly raw detailed lyrical themes and Jordan’s voice delivers them perfectly with just enough pining and a pinch of resentment.
“When did you start seeing her? Guess somebody finally tamed you, never seen you look so sure. Drinkin’ just to taste her mouth, man enough to see this through, man, I’m nothing without you. Can’t go out, I’m tethered to another world where we’re together, are you lost in it too?”
The song ‘Glory’ matches the previously mentioned songs. The instrumental is bouncy while the lyrics tell more facets of why this relationship was ill-fated, built on non-reciprocity and abuse.
“You want it all superstar, Jesus died just to save you, walk me down Hollywood boulevard, get me high in the hotel room, you owe me, you owe me, I could never hurt you, my love, you know me. You wanna make it hurt, superstar, when you took too much in your bedroom.”
‘Forever (Sailing)’ is a slinky, groovy sexy take on begging for a relationship not to end but knowing that it must.
“Whatever you decide I’ll chase you from the city to the sky and lose myself for you a thousand times.”
Snail Mail still romanticizes the failure of the relationship even though it was riddled with infidelity.
“I know that’s not my perfume on you, tiger, and we don’t have long, doesn’t obsession just become me? Don’t let em see, we don’t owe it to nobody, no matter where are, I love you from the city to the stars, but nothin’ stays as good as how it starts.”
Snail Mail sampled a slowed down version of the disco song ‘You and I’ by Madleen Kane.
“You and I, like a ship forever sailing, you and I, everything we try is failing, everything we do, everything we try.”
‘Automate’ is another soft-spoken but beat heavy track, in which Snail Mail is looking to save a relationship even with all its failings.
“Automate me and I’ll never find a love like this, I’m free, but who was I to ever want like this, you got so mean, pouring out the Jack and consequence, Blank lips, dark room, I pretend its you but she kissed like she meant it.”
‘Valentine’ marks a more pop musical direction for Snail Mail. No longer condemned to the purity of just guitars and drums. She has infused a more synth-driven sound marking a more mature and experimental way of concocting her lyrics and telling her stories.
Snail Mail will be going on tour in the United States at the end of this month until spring of next year.
by Tessa Byrns (Staff Music Writer)
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Edited by Charlotte Osment (Editorial Assistant)
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