Album Review: Snail Mail – Valentine
Lindsey Jordan, the force behind Snail Mail, returns with Valentine, a stunning sophomore album that expands upon the raw, heart-on-sleeve songwriting of her 2018 debut, Lush. With Valentine, Jordan refines her sound, embracing a fuller, more polished production while maintaining the emotional intensity that made her breakout so compelling.
A Sonic Evolution
Where Lush leaned heavily on jangly indie rock and aching confessionals, Valentine finds Jordan experimenting with new textures—swelling synths, orchestral flourishes, and even flashes of R&B influence. The title track, Valentine, opens the album with a deceptive gentleness before exploding into a cathartic, distorted chorus that sets the tone for the record’s emotional highs and lows. The song encapsulates the album’s overarching theme: the agony and ecstasy of love and loss.
Tracks like Ben Franklin showcase a groovier, bass-heavy side of Snail Mail, with Jordan’s lyrics exuding a newfound confidence as she navigates heartbreak with wry humor. Meanwhile, Forever (Sailing) introduces an airy, dreamlike quality, proving that Jordan isn’t afraid to push her sound beyond the familiar indie-rock palette.
Lyrical Maturity and Emotional Depth
Jordan’s lyricism remains one of her greatest strengths. On Valentine, she captures the messiness of love with a poet’s touch, moving between bitterness, longing, and reluctant acceptance. In Headlock, she sings, "You're hard to reach, you’re cold to touch, and the scars don’t burn but they keep me up," a line that encapsulates her ability to distill heartbreak into something devastatingly simple yet profound.
The album’s quietest moments, like Light Blue and Mia, serve as heart-wrenching reminders of Jordan’s ability to turn personal sorrow into universally resonant ballads. These tracks strip back the production, allowing her voice and lyrics to shine with an intimacy that feels almost intrusive—like reading a love letter never meant to be sent.
Final Verdict
With Valentine, Snail Mail has not only avoided the dreaded sophomore slump but has delivered an album that surpasses expectations. Jordan’s evolution as a songwriter and musician is evident in every track, as she balances lush production with raw emotion. Whether she’s belting out a scorned lover’s anthem or whispering a hushed confession, Valentine is an album that lingers long after the final note fades.
? Rating: 9/10 – A beautifully crafted, emotionally rich record that solidifies Snail Mail’s place as one of indie rock’s most compelling voices.