Though the highs and lows of the album are subtle, Lush confirms what the Habit EP first introduced. Jordan is a definite talent. The songs illustrate a wise-beyond-years songwriting style, with none of the self-importance and indulgence that can come with more experience. Nothing feels trite or contrived.
The crushing sameness of the existence described in Snail Mail’s music means that not every song on Lush is essential, but when Jordan hits, she hits a bullseye, with mini-indie masterpieces like “Pristine” and “Heat Wave” set to inspire another generation of songwriters.
Lush is unencumbered and honest, putting emotional pitfalls on full, nuanced display while remaining streamlined and filler-free.
With Lush, Jordan earns her place as a leader in the next generation of indie rock, the ones who are keeping the genre’s honorable ideals alight while continuing to expand its purview beyond straight white dudes.
The heartbreak record is the most weathered of ground so that it’s practically infertile, but Jordan’s sharp turns of phrase and brutal deconstructions of modern relationships makes Lush compellingly fruitful.
Lush is one of the most engaging and relatable indie rock debuts in quite some time.
On Lush, Snail Mail have moved beyond Habit’s bedroom feel. But Lush remains melodic and personal. Jordan has been the band’s primary songwriter since she was 15. She remains candid to the point of being melodramatic.
Jordan’s 10-track record parallels the beautiful plain-spoken lyrics and catharsis echoed by artists like Soccer Mommy and Julien Baker.
The Baltimore band may not bring anything new to the table, but it is one of the most refreshing and lovable debuts of 2018.
Even under the weighty burden of heightened media attention and critical acclaim, her band Snail Mail's full-length debut, Lush, unflinchingly delivers more of the raw authenticity that made the Maryland slowcore outfit's 2016 EP, Habit, so magnetic, while boasting both a newfound maturity and musicality.
On Lush, Snail Mail maestro Lindsey Jordan always has something important to say, and it’s worth listening to. Lush is a debut burst forth in full technicolour.
In the case of Lush, the debut album by Snail Mail, confessional doesn’t translate to cheesy or cliched; clearheaded would be a better word for 19-year-old Lindsey Jordan’s music. Yes, her lyrics are intimate and soul-baring, and her music easily fits into the jangly indie-rock category, but there’s something refreshingly unwavering and straightforward about her approach.
While the guitar work is a focal point of her style in general, it regularly borders on mesmerizing on her full-length debut, 2018's Lush.
Like Phoebe Bridgers‘ outstanding debut last year, Lush is an album that the devoted will take to their hearts and luxuriate in its sadness. Some may decry the lack of variety on show (there’s a definite template to a Snail Mail song and it’s stuck to rigidly on Lush), but it cannot be denied that this is a debut that promises great things to come.
To dismiss Lush as an amalgamation of well-trodden ideas and influences would do a disservice to what Jordan has actually done on Snail Mail’s debut album. The sounds may be familiar, but the aching sincerity contained within is absolutely intoxicating.
On her debut album as Snail Mail, Jordan pines for a series of former lovers throughout the album, and it’s refreshing to hear the emotions which we usually thrash out in our own heads being clearly communicated with no shame.
With Snail Mail's Lush, indie rock has officially entered its "Black Crowes era," where young artists refigure music from the decade they were born. But that's not a bad thing here.
At its core, Lush is partly a remarkable debut, for the solid shape it's delivered in, mostly cohesive, conceptually speaking, but it's true that the cohesiveness of Lush lacks any true dichotomy to "spice" up the album.
Snail Mail's debut album is a pretty plain indie rock affair, though Lindsey Jordan's potential as a singer-songwriter is apparent.
this album might be the best release of 2018; it's the start of something tremendous for Snail Mail. she has some of the best songs of the decade in "deep sea'", "heat wave", and "pristine".
Lindsey Jordan, aged 18, emerges with clever hooks and emotional confrontations in her debut album. 'lush' is similar to Jordan herself, in that it's ahead of its time.
#10 RAR - Random Album Reviews
I'm glad valentine is so good because this does not stand out whatsoever.
Her singing is not really good, bland instrumentation palette and her writing, while definitely decent it's not a showstopper at all.
Don't you hate going to get your regular coffee at Starbucks and having to interact with people that don't understand you at all? Hi, I'm Ashley. Every year, trans women suffer from having to go to a Starbucks and interacting with straight white cis women (also from the killing and severe transphobia, but ignore that)
That's why we've founded our new company, Starbitches! It's like Starbucks, but not of that cis Taylor Swift, Snail Mail ahh bullshit that you come to expect from regular ... read more
Although sometimes the sound pallet and the themes blend together a lot, it makes up for a very solid listen
1 | Intro 1:12 | 79 |
2 | Pristine 4:55 | 90 |
3 | Speaking Terms 3:53 | 84 |
4 | Heat Wave 5:08 | 89 |
5 | Stick 5:13 | 81 |
6 | Let's Find an Out 2:13 | 80 |
7 | Golden Dream 3:27 | 80 |
8 | Full Control 2:55 | 84 |
9 | Deep Sea 4:42 | 81 |
10 | Anytime 4:38 | 78 |
#1 | / | BLARE |
#2 | / | Stereogum |
#3 | / | Esquire (US) |
#4 | / | Digital Trends |
#4 | / | Noisey |
#5 | / | Paste |
#5 | / | Pitchfork |
#5 | / | The Key |
#9 | / | Norman Records |
#12 | / | Pretty Much Amazing |