Lindsey Jordan
Lindsey Jordan is young. This seems to be an important talking point when it comes to her musical project Snail Mail. She’s 19, at least as of the moment. She won’t be 19 forever.
Snail Mail
However, she just released her debut album Lush, and everybody seems preoccupied with her preternatural, precocious skills. Sure, Lydia Knight from the Regrettes was only 16 when their first album came out, but let’s not let that get in the way of a good “Hey, she’s young!” story.
I first heard Snail Mail when she released her EP Habit in 2016. I guess she was only 17 then. So young! I didn’t know it, though. I just liked the song “Thinning.” When I heard she had a new album coming out, I decided to give it a shot. She hasn’t grabbed me and lit my world on fire. Snail Mail makes lo-fi indie rock like a lot of other lo-fi indie rock projects. Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker, who admittedly make slightly different music, are barely older, but much more assured songwriters. Greta Kline was a god damn genius already by the time she was 19. This is not to disparage Jordan, but to try and shut down the focus on her age and to move it to her actual music.
“Pristine” is the first real song on the album, after a track called “Intro.” It’s a fine introduction to what Snail Mail does. It meanders and has a quiet, though powerful, quality to it. I’m not NOT recommending giving Lush a listen. This isn’t a review. It’s just letting you know that somebody is out there making music you might be into. Snail Mail likely isn’t going anywhere. Lush is a solid debut album, and there are a few songs worth checking out. “Pristine” is just probably the best starting point.
