SNAIL MAIL VALENTINE RELEASE DAY!
A hugely anticipated follow-up, Valentine was written and produced by 22-year-old Lindsey Jordan and co-produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee). Written in 2019-2020 the album is filled with romance, heartbreak, blood, sweat and tears. But Valentine is poised and self-possessed, channelling its anger and dejection into empowering revenge fantasies and rewriting the narrative of its own fate. Stitched throughout it is the melodrama and the camp Jordan so deftly utilizes to offset her pain.
The sonic leap forward can be heard from the first moments of the title track – the whispered voice and eerie sci-fi synths erupting into a full-on stadium-sized adrenaline-rush of a chorus. From there it’s all go – with digitized electronic inflected anthems, swooning baroque FM rockers, smoldering slow-jam R&B and some of the most gorgeous and heart-rending finger-picked guitar ballads this side of Elliott Smith. The star of the show however is Lindsey’s voice – no longer the prodigal wunderkind, her vocals and words are rawer, deeper, snarlier and more feeling than ever before. Valentine is the follow up to Snail Mail’s first full length, Lush. Her debut, written at just 17, turned the world on to an alarming talent. “Lindsey Jordan is arguably alt-rock’s most exciting new name,” said The Sunday Times. The Observer noted her “powerfully evocative vocals” NME referred to Jordan as “… the next-great American songwriter” and MTV UK called her “the next generation of indie-rock”.
Praise for Valentine:
“Valentine’ continues the tradition of Lindsey Jordan painting vivid pictures of love and obsession with such accuracy that you can’t help but see yourself in her stories” – NME
“Heart-shaped pop” – MOJO ****
“Snail Mail’s prowess in crafting a modern sound filled with classic themes makes Valentine feel simultaneously familiar and fresh” – Loud & Quiet 8/10
“her songwriting craft and palette has expanded, taking in synth soundscapes, slinky r&b and hook-laden pop rock” – Uncut 8/10
“… this is pop music with a deft alt-rock edge and Lindsey’s proving she’s more than a master of it” – Dork ****
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