Valentine (Snail Mail album)

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.{{Cite web |last=Moreland |first=Quinn |date=2021-09-21 |title=Snail Mail Can't Help But Confess |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/interview/snail-mail-valentine-interview/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921164635/https://pitchfork.com/features/interview/snail-mail-valentine-interview/ |archive-date=Sep 21, 2021 |access-date=2021-11-07 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}} In November 2020, Jordan spent 45 days in a rehab facility in Arizona, an experience she references directly in "Ben Franklin".

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."{{cite web |last=Snail Mail |date=Nov 5, 2021 |title="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 |url=https://twitter.com/snailmail/status/1456700834436239362 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504182043/https://twitter.com/snailmail/status/1456700834436239362 |archive-date=May 4, 2022 |access-date=2022-05-25 |website=Twitter}}

{{Music ratings

| MC = 88/100{{Cite web |title=Valentine by Snail Mail Reviews and Tracks |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/valentine/snail-mail |access-date=November 4, 2021 |website=Metacritic}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite web |last=Donelson|first=Marcy |title=Valentine – Snail Mail |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/valentine-mw0003592985 |access-date=November 4, 2021 |website=AllMusic}}

| rev2 = Clash

| rev2Score = 8/10{{Cite web|last=Oxford|first=Jack|title=Snail Mail – Valentine |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/snail-mail-valentine|access-date=November 4, 2021 |website =Clash |date=Sep 2, 2021}}

| rev3 = Gigwise

| rev3Score = {{Rating|7|10}}{{Cite web|last=Rigotti |first=Alex | title=The indie-rock darling continues her reign with a record full of lust and longing |url=https://www.gigwise.com/reviews/3413165/album-review--snail-mail---valentine|website = Gigwise |date=Nov 3, 2021}}

| rev4 = The Line of Best Fit

| rev4Score = 9/10{{Cite web |last=Campbell|first=Caleb |title=Snail Mail brilliantly captures the dizzying stakes of loving too young and too hard on Valentine |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/snail-mail-valentine-album-review |access-date=November 4, 2021 |website=The Line of Best Fit |date=Nov 1, 2021}}

| rev5 = NME

| rev5Score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{Cite web |last=Hunt|first=El|title=Snail Mail – 'Valentine' review: a beautiful progression from her influential debut |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/snail-mail-valentine-album-review-3085290|access-date=November 4, 2021 |website=NME |date=Nov 2, 2021}}

| rev6 = Pitchfork

| rev6Score = 8.5/10{{Cite web |last=Horn|first=Olivia|title=Snail Mail – Valentine |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/snail-mail-valentine/|access-date=November 4, 2021 |website=Pitchfork |date=Nov 4, 2021}}

| rev7 = Slant

| rev7Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{Cite web |last=Amen|first=John|title=Review: Snail Mail's Valentine Represents a Plunge into Sober Self-Assessment |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/snail-mail-valentine-album-review/|access-date=November 4, 2021 |website=Slant Magazine|date=November 2021 }}

}}

Valentine received critical acclaim upon release, earning a Metacritic score of 88/100 and the 'Best New Music' certification by Pitchfork. 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". 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. 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." 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."{{Cite web |last=Amen |first=John |date=2021-11-01 |title=Review: Snail Mail's Valentine Represents a Plunge into Sober Self-Assessment |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/snail-mail-valentine-album-review/ |access-date=2022-08-22 |website=Slant Magazine |language=en-US}}

{{clear}}

All tracks written by Lindsey Jordan.{{cite web |last1=Ruiz |first1=Matthew Ismael |date=September 15, 2021 |title=Snail Mail Announces New Album Valentine, Shares New Video: Watch |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/snail-mail-announces-new-album-valentine-shares-new-video-watch/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916054121/https://pitchfork.com/news/snail-mail-announces-new-album-valentine-shares-new-video-watch/ |archive-date=Sep 16, 2021 |access-date=September 17, 2021 |website=Pitchfork}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side A

| title1 = Valentine

| length1 = 3:16

| title2 = Ben Franklin

| length2 = 3:02

| title3 = Headlock

| length3 = 3:12

| title4 = Light Blue

| length4 = 2:34

| title5 = Forever (Sailing)

| length5 = 4:18

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side B

| title6 = Madonna

| length6 = 2:53

| title7 = c. et al.

| length7 = 3:23

| title8 = Glory

| length8 = 2:20

| title9 = Automate

| length9 = 3:09

| title10 = Mia

| length10 = 3:27

| total_length = 31:34

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Japanese edition (bonus track){{cite web|url=https://www.beatink.com/products/detail.php?product_id=12100|title=Valentine|publisher=Beatink.com|accessdate=12 February 2022}}

| title11 = Adore U

| length11 = 3:37

| note11 = Valentine Demo

}}

Credits are adapted from the Valentine liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|title=Valentine|others=Snail Mail|year=2021|publisher=Matador Records|type=CD booklet}}

Musicians

• Lindsey Jordan – vocals; guitars
• 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

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Category:2021 albums

Category:Snail Mail (musician) albums

Category:Matador Records albums