Album Review: Snail Mail – Lush
Posted: by The Editor
With just one release under their belt, Snail Mail‘s debut record is capable of turning anyone into a fan, if they aren’t already. They’ve continued to grow in popularity and the buzz surrounding the band isn’t stopping any time soon.
“They don’t love you, do they?” sings Lindsey Jordan on Lush’s opener. The distorted vocals are hard to hear through the bright guitar tones but her voice, both her vocals and strong writing style, easily cut through the rest of the record. This line perfectly encapsulates the album which wades through the complicated sea of emotions that comes with the end of a relationship and not knowing when you’ll be able to move on, let alone be capable of loving someone else as much as the person in question.
The whole record is self-reflective as Jordan strives for emotional clarity instead of wallowing in her own sadness. The album’s single, “Pristine”, explores the difficulty of still having someone in your life when they no longer play the same role and they’ve now perfected the indie-rock sound they first touched on in their debut 2016 release, Habit. This track quickly became one I would sing along to after its release, having gone through the same longing for a now finished relationship that Jordan explores just days before. The vulnerability and uncertainty is as comforting as it is catchy.
“Let’s Find An Out” has a dream-like haze, comparable to waking up in a car on a long drive, a sleepy haze of being somewhere new but not lost. It’s one of the shorter songs on the record with just three verses and a relaxing quality to it with ringing instrumentals that seem distant.The album is full strong melodies that present themselves on songs like “Heatwave” where Jordan sings “And I hope the love that you find swallows you wholly / like you said it might”. While most of the record reflect on the loss, “Heatwave” holds on to the value of finding love while still exploring the difficulties that occur when it’s unrequited. Though the track, starts off slow, it quickly builds with a strong back beat and layered dynamic guitars.
The record draws to a close with the melancholic closer “Anytime” which poses the same question as the opener but in a more separated way. Instead of longing for the other person, Jordan has grown comfortable with their absence wishes them the best. Appropriately named, Lush is full of rich, well-crafted instrumentals and wise lyricism. Being 18 at the time of the record’s release, it’s clear that Jordan’s craft can only grow with time and I’m looking forward to seeing how the band continues to develop.
Disappointing / Average / Good / Great / Phenomenal
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Lindsy Carrasquillo | @lindsy_carr
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