Valentine (Snail Mail album)

Valentine is the second studio album by American indie rock musician Snail Mail, released on November 5, 2021, by Matador Records.[1]

Valentine
Studio album by
Snail Mail
ReleasedNovember 5, 2021 (2021-11-05)
RecordedEarly 2021
StudioBrad Cook's Studio (Durham, North Carolina)
GenreIndie rock
Length31:34
LabelMatador
Producer
  • Brad Cook
  • Lindsey Jordan
Snail Mail chronology
Lush
(2018)		 Valentine
(2021)
Singles from Valentine
  1. "Valentine"
    Released: September 15, 2021
  2. "Ben Franklin"
    Released: October 13, 2021
  3. "Madonna"
    Released: October 27, 2021

Background

Lindsey Jordan, known as Snail Mail, tried to begin writing material for her second studio album immediately after her debut, Lush (2018). However, she struggled to write because she was on tour and lacked opportunities for solitude. During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jordan returned to her parents' home in Baltimore, where she began to start working seriously on Valentine.[2] In November 2020, Jordan spent 45 days in a rehab facility in Arizona, an experience she references directly in "Ben Franklin".[2]

According to Snail Mail's Twitter, Jordan stated: "Making this album has been the greatest challenge of my life thus far. I put my entire heart and soul into every last detail. Thank you for sticking with me and trusting me, as I turn the page into the new chapter of The Book of Snail Mail."[3]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic88/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Clash8/10[6]
Gigwise[7]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[8]
NME[9]
Pitchfork8.5/10[10]
Slant[11]

Valentine received critical acclaim upon release, earning a Metacritic score of 88/100[4] and the 'Best New Music' certification by Pitchfork.[10] Olivia Horn of Pitchfork wrote that Jordan "flirts with pop—sharpening her hooks, reaching for the synths and strings", in contrast to the "limited possibilities of a three-piece rock band" on her previous album Lush. Horn rated the album 8.5/10, stating that Jordan's songwriting was "dazzlingly sharp and passionate".[10] In a review for NME, El Hunt wrote that "Jordan's songwriting is as astute as ever, and her exploration of love here is set to a rich palette of explorative strings and synths", rating the album 5 stars out of 5.[9] Writing for AllMusic, Marcy Donelson gave the album 3.5 starts out of 5, arguing that while Valentine represents a "bold musical step" for Jordan, it nevertheless "leaves some of her distinctiveness behind."[5] Writing for Slant, John Amen also rated the album 3.5/5, concluding that "If Lush presented a snapshot of a particular mindset, a woman trapped in a psychological limbo, Valentine captures the blurry nature of an inquiry still in progress."[12]

Accolades
Critics' rankings for Valentine
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Entertainment Weekly The 10 Best Albums of 2021
6
[13]
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2021
10
[14]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2021
15
[15]
NME The 50 Best Albums of 2021
24
[16]
Rolling Stone 50 Best Albums of 2021
32
[17]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2021
2
[18]
The New York Times: Lindsay Zoladz Best Albums of 2021
3
[19]
USA Today: Patrick Ryan 5 Best Albums of 2021
3
[20]

Track listing

All tracks written by Lindsey Jordan.[21]

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Valentine"3:16
2."Ben Franklin"3:02
3."Headlock"3:12
4."Light Blue"2:34
5."Forever (Sailing)"4:18
Side B
No.TitleLength
6."Madonna"2:53
7."c. et al."3:23
8."Glory"2:20
9."Automate"3:09
10."Mia"3:27
Total length:31:34
Japanese edition (bonus track)[22]
No.TitleLength
11."Adore U" (Valentine Demo)3:37

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the Valentine liner notes.[23]

Musicians

  • Lindsey Jordan – vocals; keyboards
  • Alex Bass – bass
  • Ray Brown – drums
  • Alex Farrar – keyboards
  • Katie Crutchfield — backing vocals on "Ben Franklin"
  • Kaitlin Grady – cello on "Light Blue" and "Glory"
  • Stephanie Barrett – cello on "Mia"
  • Jocelyn Smith – viola on "Mia"
  • Kim Ryan – viola on "Mia"
  • Liz Stahr – viola on "Mia"
  • Adrian Pintea – violin on "Mia"
  • Anna Bishop – violin on "Mia"
  • Ellen Riccio – violin on "Mia"
  • Jeannette Jang – violin on "Mia"
  • Meredith Riley – violin on "Mia"
  • Treesa Gold – violin on "Mia"

Production and artwork

  • Brad Cook – producer
  • Lindsey Jordan – producer
  • Alex Farrar — engineer; mixer
  • Tina Tyrell – photography
  • Alexa Lanza – styling

Charts
Chart performance for Valentine
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[24] 35
Scottish Albums (OCC)[25] 7
UK Albums (OCC)[26] 35
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[27] 3
US Billboard 200[28] 61
US Alternative Albums[29] 7
US Independent Albums[30] 10
US Top Rock Albums[31] 6

References
  1. Rettig, James (September 15, 2021). "Snail Mail – "Valentine"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022.
  2. Moreland, Quinn (September 21, 2021). "Snail Mail Can't Help But Confess". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  3. Snail Mail (November 5, 2021). ""Making this album has been the greatest challenge of my life thus far. I put my entire heart and soul into every last detail. Thank you for sticking with me and trusting me, as I turn the page into the new chapter of The Book of Snail Mail." -LJ". Twitter.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  4. "Valentine by Snail Mail Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  5. Donelson, Marcy. "Valentine – Snail Mail". AllMusic. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  6. Oxford, Jack (September 2, 2021). "Snail Mail – Valentine". Clash. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  7. Rigotti, Alex (November 3, 2021). "The indie-rock darling continues her reign with a record full of lust and longing". Gigwise.
  8. Campbell, Caleb (November 1, 2021). "Snail Mail brilliantly captures the dizzying stakes of loving too young and too hard on Valentine". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  9. Hunt, El (November 2, 2021). "Snail Mail – 'Valentine' review: a beautiful progression from her influential debut". NME. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  10. Horn, Olivia (November 4, 2021). "Snail Mail – Valentine". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  11. Amen, John (November 2021). "Review: Snail Mail's Valentine Represents a Plunge into Sober Self-Assessment". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  12. Amen, John (November 1, 2021). "Review: Snail Mail's Valentine Represents a Plunge into Sober Self-Assessment". Slant Magazine. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  13. "The 10 best (and 3 worst) albums of 2021". Entertainment Weekly. December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  14. "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Paste. November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  15. Gordon, Arielle (December 7, 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  16. "The 50 best albums of 2021". NME. December 10, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  17. "50 Best Albums of 2021". Rolling Stone. December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  18. "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Stereogum. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  19. Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon; Zoladz, Lindsay (December 2, 2021). "Best Albums of 2021". The New York Times. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  20. Ruggieri, Melissa; Ryan, Patrick (December 13, 2021). "10 best albums of 2021". USA Today. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  21. Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (September 15, 2021). "Snail Mail Announces New Album Valentine, Shares New Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  22. "Valentine". Beatink.com. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  23. Valentine (CD booklet). Snail Mail. Matador Records. 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. "Australiancharts.com – Snail Mail – Valentine". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  25. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  26. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  27. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  28. "Billboard 200 – November 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  29. "Alternative Albums – November 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  30. "Independent Albums – November 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  31. "Top Rock Albums – November 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
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