Lush – Snail Mail

Lush by Snail Mail is one of the first albums that got me into music and introduced me to what indie is. Before this, I had really only listened to classic rock, so it was a nice change. Thanks to one of my friends, I gave the track Heat Wave a listen, and it instantly became one of my favorites – still is today. Having listened to this album countless times, I can confidently recommend it to anyone who I meet. This album does an amazing job at introducing anyone to indie rock, thanks to the stunning combination of Lindsey Jordan’s vocals and guitar.

The album starts with Intro, and that’s what it is. A brief interlude with several melodic calls to future songs in the album. I never find myself seeking it, but it serves some sort of purpose to her. Pristine, the next track, is one of her most popular songs, and for good reason. Being the first “real song” in the album, I consider this the stage setter. Sounding mellow yet optimistic, Jordan provides a story – one that ends with a mixed signal. The emotion that she sings with raises the song’s status, especially at the end, as I’ve mentioned. Speaking Terms is the next track, and it continues the same mellow theme that we see in the previous track. The constant call back to the song’s opening guitar riff makes you think just that bit more, something I feel Jordan wanted listeners to do. Here, the lyrics kind of linger, which isn’t something I typically notice in music. It makes this song special, even if not the main element.

The next track, Heat Wave, is one of my favorite songs of all time, and is my second most streamed song ever. The somber tone that Jordan opens with is immediately followed by a guitar riff, which is a bit contradictory. Continuing through the track, she maintains the album’s mood but flawlessly adds more emotion. After 3 minutes of intricate lyrical work, the listener is thrown a much more emphatic guitar riff. To me, it’s almost as if the emotion has built up to what the riff is. Followed by a final buildup, Jordan finishes the song by increasing the sound and emotion yet again. If you could not tell, I really love this song – by far my favorite on the album. The following track is one that I’ve grown to appreciate much more over the past few days. The track, Stick, has taught me to appreciate the people that I’m around and to cherish the friendships. I don’t even know if that’s what the lyrics mean, but the way the song plays out makes me feel that way. For me, a nostalgic, yet optimistic sound is produced, leading to my cliche opinions on it. Let’s Find an Out, which is the next track, is short and sweet. With the emotion that is presented in the previous tracks, this gives the listener a break, while also maintaining the theme that is important throughout. Golden Dream follows and feels much more positive than other songs in the album. The way she sings “Know when I mean it” at the one-minute mark has some ambiguity though, which makes the song confusing if you want to understand it in its whole. Maybe it’s the point, but to me, it’s just another element that adds to the album. More emotional outburst is next with Full Control. Ironic in the sense that she sings as if she doesn’t have control, the song brings what I feel like is a sense of optimism. I’m not totally sure, but maybe someone can do a lyrical analysis soon.

Deep Sea, the second to last track really resonates with me. I don’t know what part of me it hits emotionally, but I feel sad to an extent. When I had depression, this song hit way harder than it should’ve, so I don’t know if I recommend it to anyone feeling that right now. All things aside, this track serves as something sad and is a real shift in pace compared to other songs. To me, it almost feels like Jordan is getting closer to acceptance – if that’s a feeling that is being worked toward. I say this because it is followed by Anytime, which slows the pace down even more. As a closing song goes, this leaves the listener with a pretty clear image, one that seems to have reached acceptance. I’m not entirely sure how to convey that fact, but the few positive sounding spurts in the song lead to me that conclusion. Whether this album reflects Jordan’s own life or not, I couldn’t tell you. Regardless, this album takes you on an emotional ride and is worth any sort of listen.