Valentine by Snail Mail

At 22 years old, Lindsey Jordan has accomplished more than most. She’s released a critically-acclaimed debut album under her solo project name Snail Mail (2018’s Lush). She’s moved out and moved back in with her parents (thanks, Covid-19). And she’s released an even more widely acclaimed sophomore Snail Mail album, the exquisite Valentine, dropping in here at #7.

There are many comparisons to draw from when trying to quantify Jordan’s music. THere’s the inevitable comparisons to Hole, or Juliana Hatfield. And anything she does wouldn’t have been possible without the existence of Liz Phair. Today, I talk about Snail Mail in the same breath as King Princess, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers. But none of these do her sound justice.

Her voice is more breathy, as if she’s on the verge of losing it. The songs go from slow ballads about relationships on their last legs, to groovy songs about recovery (according to Pitchfork she did a stint in rehab in November, 2020), to hard rock surprises like the title song shown in the video above.

I liked her debut album, but connected with it too late to include on the 2018 Top 31. Lush feels less polished, less experienced than Valentine. But if you like the song in the video above, then you’ll really connect with Lush, as that album is the more hard rock of the two she’s put together. Despite billing herself as a solo act, she has a full band performing behind her lead vocals and guitars. Bass, keyboards, drums, rhythm guitar, and backing vocals are all there. And even some guest stars: last year’s #1 on the Top 31, Katie Crutchfield (aka Waxahatchee) sings background vocals on “Ben Franklin” (the aforementioned song about recovery – watch the video).

As I mentioned, Jordan is only 22 years old. There’s a lot more ahead for her, and I’m anxious to see where she heads. The growth seen between albums one and two was huge. The next album has got to be even better.

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8. sketchy. by tUnE-yArDs
9. A Very Lonely Solstice by Fleet Foxes
10. Hey What by Low
11. Local Valley by José González
12. Head of Roses by Flock of Dimes
13. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows by Damon Albarn
14. Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

There are many ways to listen to the 2021 Bacon Top 31. Subscribe now and enjoy the new albums / songs as the countdown is completed!

Full Album
All albums in their entirety.

Radio Station
A single song selection pulled from each album.

View all previous Bacon Top 31s

Home Video by Lucy Dacus

Lucy Dacus has a gorgeous voice, soft and warm like a fresh-from-the-dryer flannel. She’s been on my radar since her debut album, No Burden, came out about five years ago. Natively from Virginia, the Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter has been slowly sinking her songs into my mind ever since. That pace quickened with her involvement in boygenius, the supergroup she formed with Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers back in 2018 (still waiting for a full-length from the trio…).

Home Video, Dacus’s third full-length, finally packed enough punch to push herself to the front of the queue and land her on the Bacon Top 31. Over the past few years, she’s managed to hit a level of intimacy and directness with her songwriting that is in direct contrast to the smooth beauty of her voice. The influences of Baker and Bridgers are clear (they each appear on the album on a handful of songs). But I also hear less likely influences, like Neko Case, St. Vincent, and Sharon van Etten. If any of those names are favorites of yours, you need to add Lucy Dacus to your list.

As part of the promotion for Home Video, Dacus appeared on the Song Exploder podcast. If you’re not familiar, Song Exploder, created and hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway, is great: artists come on and go into deep detail around a song of theirs – how it came into being, how it was performed and recorded in the studio, what it means to them, etc. The particular brilliance of the podcast is that Hirway mostly edits himself asking the artist questions out of the podcast. This leaves us, the listener, with the artist having a direct, seemingly 1-on-1 conversation with us, describing their songs in intimate detail.

For her episode, Dacus talked about “Thumbs,” my absolute favorite song on the album. This song is a gut punch. Hearing how it came together and how personal it is to Dacus is amazing. Even if the album on the whole isn’t your bag, I don’t see how you can’t love this song, and I recommend listening to the podcast just to hear it.

Pfffft. There’s no way this whole album isn’t your bag.

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24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications

There are many ways to listen to the 2021 Bacon Top 31. Subscribe now and enjoy the new albums / songs as the countdown is completed!

Full Album
All albums in their entirety.

Radio Station
A single song selection pulled from each album.

View all previous Bacon Top 31s

#7 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Snail Mail

#23 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Lucy Dacus