Snail Mail // Lush

Lindsay Jordan has been making music for years now under the name Snail Mail – a pair of EP’s in both 2015’s Stick and 2016’s Habit, that propelled her to the prominence in indie rock. She’s been lauded by Kim Gordon and has toured with Liz Phair. It’s for good reason. Jordan’s debut album is a confident collection of indie rock that could fit well in any decade – they’re confident, full-bodied anthems that have endless playback.

“Pristine” is an amazing example of this – “Is there any better feeling than coming clean?” I’m marveling how “Heat Wave” starts as kind of a dreamy ballad before it nosedives into a straight-from-1993 speaker blaster. “Let’s Find An Out” brings things down with its simple strums as does the breezy vocals of “Golden Dream”. It’s an instant classic from a young artist on her first full length. Then there’s Deep Sea, which sounds absolutely devastating but alternately is just as gorgeous as it is sad.

Lush is a record that feels so impossibly fully formed that it begs the question how they came into existence. They feel essential and like you’ve stumbled on to a lost 1990’s classic, yet the irony is that at 19, Jordan was born in the second half of the last year of the 90’s. How it sounds so fresh and original without sounding derivative or smacking of nostalgia is a cool trick by an experienced songwriter.

One record in and Snail Mail has made a modern classic, one that’s songs will find new life time and time again. It’s a record exploding with potential and shows a young artist already disregarding boundaries and limitation. The confidence she shows on Lush signals she’s ready to take even bigger steps as she continues to evolve as an artist. That’s so exciting to listen unfold.

- Brendan Hilliard, Obviate Media

This review was written by Brendan Hilliard, of Obviate Media. Obviate Media is a Chicago-based blog covering music and pop culture. Check them out, here: Obviate Media.

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