This album starts off with “Intro”, and it’s a very stripped down, low-fi, endearing ballad. It’s not exactly the prettiest of tracks here, and I’m not too crazy about Lindsey’s more monotone performance. But instrumentally this sets the tone nicely for the album. On the other hand, “Pristine” very quickly shows off just how much of a punch Lindsey has. Her vocals here are so much more center stage, and are incredibly sweet and likable. This, in a lot of ways, reminds me of the true, early days of Indie Rock. But I mean that in the best way. Not only is Lindsey a dynamic frontwoman with stunning vocals and great lyrics, but she knows how to really give this one a little extra oomph with some great guitar lines. This track for lack of a better term, is pristine. It has this ridiculously personal chorus of "Don't you like me for me? Is there any better feeling than coming clean? And I know myself and I'll never love anyone else, I won't love anyone else. I'll never love anyone else”. In general, “Pristine” may be one of the best Rock tunes I’ve heard all year. And it has just enough of this very amateurish charm, like you saw Snail Mail at some bar or club and you were blown away completely. Then we have “Speaking Terms” which is much smoother and has some really nice grooves. To be honest, it’s refreshing to hear an artist focus as much on her guitar playing as Lindsey does. The vocals here as well are just fantastic. She almost always sounds so small, so quiet, but she has so much to say that more often than not her performances come off so charming. Not to mention, I think the most appealing element to this album is just how simple it is. I can’t tell you how many times I’m studying an album and have to give it 5 or 6 listens just to get the basic gist of it. But Snail Mail’s music is instantaneous, catchy, and wildly charming. “Heat Wave” on the other hand strips things down even further. The more I listen to this, the more I feel like I’m listening to some lost 90’s classic. Lindsey’s performance is at it’s most gigantic here, mostly because this one is just so quiet instrumentally. Lindsey has all of these feelings that all of us have felt, as she goes into great detail about how she’s sick of moving on and just wants to find that special someone. This doesn’t even feel like a 5-minute plus track, it flows miraculously. There are catchy, pop-centered moments, there are abrasive guitars that bring in a nice muddy sound, I have nothing bad to say.
Now, “Stick” is the most stripped down track of the bunch, and has the most singer-songwriter feel yet. But Lindsey really kicks that out with some solid guitar chords and an immensely emotional performance. This one is a little harder to nail down lyrically though, which does take away from the this one. That, alongside of this very sluggish performance actually makes this a low point of the album for me. But “Let’s Find an Out” instantly warms my bones. Not only do I get a throwback sound here to the early days of Indie, but I almost hear a throwback sound to the early days of Emo as well, like some American Football. Mostly because the way this one just encapsulates me and holds me tight, with Lindsey’s performance being absolutely wonderful. “Let’s Find an Out” is one of the most straightforward tracks here, and it’s barely over 2 minutes. But it’s just so wonderful and sweet that I can’t say no, not a chance. Not to mention, I love the sweet, storytelling aspect to the lyrics here. “Golden Dream” slows things down once again, even though I should point out there really isn’t anything too upbeat on this album. This track is just so inviting and shimmering, and contains some of my favorite vocals of Lindsey’s. This one, once again, shows her lyrically getting a little more out there. But the very warm atmosphere and some sweet guitar licks make this come off pretty strong still. And some of these licks in the last minutes are a ridiculously nice touch. Meanwhile, “Full Control” is just as rough and tumble. I mean, you can argue that some of these tracks do blend a little bit. But I think Lindsey’s sound is so fresh and something we haven’t heard in so long that it’s OK. This is one of the most visceral, intense tracks here, with easily the biggest chorus of the bunch. Honestly, I wanna hear more tracks like this in the future, because Lindsey sure knows how to write a memorable hook.
“Deep Sea” once again strips things back. But this time it’s stripped back further than normal and is almost a little southern sounding. And to be honest, it’s alright. I just feel like Lindsey here is just so much more reserved and hesitant. The only real shining star here is that big, exhausted, emotional chorus. It is a very beautiful track still, and I do love that one lone horn playing. I just feel like this is so much more reserved compared to just how confident the rest of the material has been. Lindsey, however, knocks it out of the park with “Anytime” as a finale. Obviously, she’s intent on ending this album off on a very quiet note. The difference with this one is, that it’s just so much more confident and a thousand times more beautiful than the last track. This may just be her most sincere, tender track here, and her performance is just so gigantic even though this is a more somber tune. Not to mention, her vocals are unreal, seeming like she’s pushing out every last bit of emotion she can here. It’s bluesy, rugged, and fucking gorgeous.
Rating: 7.9/10
Give A Listen To: "Pristine", "Heat Wave", "Let's Find an Out", "Full Control"
Least Favorite Track: "Stick"
Genre: Indie Rock / Indie Pop
Overall Thoughts: Lindsey Jordan has come through with a very solid collection of wonderfully crafted Indie Rock and Indie Pop tunes. To be this young, and for this to be her first album it's actually stunning just how well this all came out. The hooks are catchy, the lyrics are deep, her performances are often stunning, and Lindsey made the bold choice of keeping things nice and crunchy when it comes to guitars. Some of the lighter tunes here I feel like force Lindsey to come off a little reserved, but that's the only major issue I have here.
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