Valentine (Snail Mail album)

Valentine
Studio album by
Snail Mail
ReleasedNovember 5, 2021
RecordedEarly 2021
StudioBrad Cook's Studio (Durham, North Carolina)
GenreAlternative rock[1]
Length31:34
LabelMatador
Producers
  • Brad Cook
  • Lindsey Jordan
Snail Mail chronology
Lush
(2018)		 Valentine
(2021)		 Ricochet
(2026)
Singles from Valentine
  1. "Valentine"
    Released: September 15, 2021
  2. "Ben Franklin"
    Released: October 13, 2021
  3. "Madonna"
    Released: October 27, 2021

Valentine is the second studio album by American indie rock musician Snail Mail, released on November 5, 2021, by Matador Records.[2]

Background and writing

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.[3] In November 2020, Jordan spent 45 days in a rehab facility in Arizona, an experience she references directly in "Ben Franklin".[3]

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."[4]

Music and lyrics

Guitar.com described the album as sounding like a "blend of barbed anti-romance and winsome indie-rock".[5] The album contains elements of hip-hop and yacht rock. It also contains sentimental ballads. The album's instrumentation also employs string sections, drawing comparisons to the Beatles "at their most introspective and austere" from Entertainment Weekly.[6]

Paste referred to Valentine as lyrically a "soundtrack to the trials and tribulations of being a slightly more seasoned though still sensitive twenty-something."[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.0/10[8]
Metacritic88/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarHalf star[1]
The A.V. ClubA[10]
Clash8/10[11]
DIYStarStarStarStarStar[12]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[13]
NMEStarStarStarStarStar[14]
Pitchfork8.5/10[15]
The SkinnyStarStarStarStar[16]
Slant MagazineStarStarStarHalf star[17]
Uncut8/10[18]

Valentine received critical acclaim upon release, earning a Metacritic score of 88 out of 100[9] and the 'Best New Music' certification by Pitchfork.[15] 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".[15] 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.[14] Editors at AllMusic gave the album 3.5 starts out of 5, with reviewer Marcy Donelson arguing that while Valentine represents a "bold musical step" for Jordan, it nevertheless "leaves some of her distinctiveness behind".[1] Writing for Slant Magazine, 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."[17]

Accolades

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

Track listing

All tracks written by Lindsey Jordan.[27]

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)[28]
No.TitleLength
11."Adore U" (Valentine Demo)3:37

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the Valentine liner notes.[29]

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

Charts

Chart performance for Valentine
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[30]35
Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[31]7
UK Albums (Official Charts)[32]35
UK Independent Albums (Official Charts)[33]3
US Billboard 200[34] 61
US Alternative Albums[35] 7
US Independent Albums[36] 10
US Top Rock Albums[37] 6

References

  1. 1 2 3 Donelson, Marcy. "Valentine – Snail Mail". AllMusic. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  2. ↑ Rettig, James (September 15, 2021). "Snail Mail – "Valentine"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022.
  3. 1 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.
  4. ↑ 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. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  5. ↑ ""I would rather do anything than sit there and watch somebody fiddle with pedals" Snail Mail on why she's embraced the guitar on her terms on new record, Ricochet". guitar.com. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Snail Mail on Lana, Lindsay Lohan, and the album that wrecks her". EW.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2025. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  7. ↑ March 27, Sam Rosenberg |; 2026 | 10:00am. "Snail Mail, 'Ricochet' Album Review". Paste Magazine. Retrieved June 16, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ "Valentine by Snail Mail reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Valentine by Snail Mail Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  10. ↑ Sanchez, Gabrielle (November 5, 2021). "Snail Mail's Valentine is a soul-stirring study in vulnerability and romance". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  11. ↑ Oxford, Jack (September 2, 2021). "Snail Mail – Valentine". Clash. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  12. ↑ Tipple, Ben. "Snail Mail - Valentine". DIY. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. 1 2 Hunt, El (November 2, 2021). "Snail Mail – 'Valentine' review: a beautiful progression from her influential debut". NME. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  15. 1 2 3 Horn, Olivia (November 4, 2021). "Snail Mail – Valentine". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  16. ↑ Cutforth, Katie (November 1, 2021). "Snail Mail – Valentine". The Skinny. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  17. 1 2 Amen, John (November 2021). "Review: Snail Mail's Valentine Represents a Plunge into Sober Self-Assessment". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  18. ↑ Wray, Daniel Dylan (December 2021). "Snail Mail – Valentine". Uncut. p. 33.
  19. ↑ "The 10 best (and 3 worst) albums of 2021". Entertainment Weekly. December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  20. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Paste. November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  21. ↑ Gordon, Arielle (December 7, 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  22. ↑ "The 50 best albums of 2021". NME. December 10, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  23. ↑ "50 Best Albums of 2021". Rolling Stone. December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  24. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Stereogum. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  25. ↑ Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon; Zoladz, Lindsay (December 2, 2021). "Best Albums of 2021". The New York Times. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  26. ↑ Ruggieri, Melissa; Ryan, Patrick (December 13, 2021). "10 best albums of 2021". USA Today. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  27. ↑ 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.
  28. ↑ "Valentine". Beatink.com. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  29. ↑ Valentine (CD booklet). Snail Mail. Matador Records. 2021.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  30. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Snail Mail – Valentine". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 12/11/2021 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 12/11/2021 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart on 12/11/2021 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Billboard 200 – November 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  35. ↑ "Alternative Albums – November 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  36. ↑ "Independent Albums – November 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Top Rock Albums – November 20, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
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