A new era of indie rock is upon us and it is being led by Lindsey Jordan (aka Snail Mail). In case you were unaware, a disturbance in the force has been building for years and women are now indisputably at the forefront of indie music. Case in point, Snail Mail’s prodigious debut LP Lush (on Matador Records) – by the 4th chord change of track 1 (“Intro“), you’ll immediately realize that you’re listening to something special. That brief song is but a mere glimpse into the artistry and songwriting to come from the rest of the album’s short 40-minute runtime. Her vocal delivery can be raw and teeter on the edge, at times; however, her inflection is engaging in a way that keeps you hanging on her every word, anticipating where she’ll go next. Lindsey not only has the ability to write emotionally sincere and vulnerable (yet complex) songs, but she also has some serious guitar chops… and, yes, those are her riffs that she’s so effortlessly crushing. FYI, did I mention that she’s only 19? (Cue feelings of self-worthlessness about not having accomplished anything by age 19 [or ever])
If you’re wanting some Elliott Smith vibes, give a listen to “Let’s Find An Out” and try to tell me that’s anything but genius. It’s not just about guitar riffs and technical proficiency, though – for example, the album’s final track “Anytime” is poetry in ballad form and makes me feel the same way I felt at the end of Magnolia.
Snail Mail will be performing for 2 nights at Union Transfer in Philly on 9/29 and 9/30, opening for Alvvays (Hatchie is the first opener). More tickets have been released for the show(s) (9/29 was previously sold out), but jump on that quick because both of these shows will sell out. Snail Mail will be back in the area again on 11/30 when they play a headlining date at White Eagle Hall in Jersey City (tickets available here). See all of their upcoming tour dates here.
Snail Mail recently recorded a 4-song performance on KEXP – you can watch the full performance and interview below.