Words by Katherine Cardinale
Ricochet is the first full-length album release from indie rock artist Lindsey Jordan a.k.a Snail Mail in five years, and it was absolutely worth the wait. During that half decade, Jordan embarked on multiple tours, moved from New York to North Carolina, and underwent surgery to have polyps removed from her vocal cords, which led to her needing speech therapy to re-train her voice. She spent the last couple of years collaborating with Etta Friedman of Momma, who is also her partner, and Aron Kobayashi Ritch, the bassist and producer of Momma, to create Ricochet, an album that covers existential questions, the complexities of love, and acceptance of self.
Ricochet features 11 brand new songs, with “Dead End” being the lead single. “Dead End” immediately caught my ear on the first listen with its catchy beat, singalong vocals, and strong lead guitar riff. The song talks about letting go of someone who used to be prominent in your life, while still reminiscing over the relationship. A music video accompanied the single and featured various areas of rural North Carolina, which is where Jordan now resides.
Other standouts on the new record include “Agony Freak,” “Tractor Beam,” and “Ricochet,” which shares the same name as the album. These tracks combine Jordans’ ability to write meaningful, emotional lyrics with a fresh, new take on production and her strongest vocals ever.
On March 27, Snail Mail appeared in person at an intimate Rough Trade NYC Q&A + Signing, where fans got to hear all about the creative process that went into creating Ricochet. During the hour-long session, Jordan, alongside collaborators Friedman and Ritch, answered questions about their favorite horror movies, the best ways to break writer’s block, and who their musical inspirations are. This event allowed fans to connect with Jordan on a more personal level, and was complete with an album signing. Jordan was easy to talk to and had a unique conversation with each person at the signing.
Snail Mail is heading out on tour to support the album this week, and you can purchase tickets here.
Loudspeaker Collective 