Atwood Magazine’s writers dive into Snail Mail’s expansive and striking third album ‘Ricochet,’ a grown-up and emotionally refined evolution of Lindsey Jordan’s indie rock world – unpacking its balance of polish and grit, and the way it broadens her sound without losing the raw vocals, weeping guitars, and restless feeling that made Snail Mail feel so singular in the first place.

Featured here are Atwood writers Dusty Hayes, Jonah Evans, and Julia Dzurillay!

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To start, what is your relationship with Snail Mail’s music?

Julia Dzurillay: My earliest memories of Snail Mail are 1. being an angsty college student blasting Lush, 2. arguing with my friend about the best song on Valentine, and 3. driving over an hour to her 2022 concert at the Stone Pony which was, at the time, one of my favorite nights ever. The venue is right on the beach in Asbury Park, so my friends and I had dinner on the boardwalk before heading in… the sun was setting, the waves were crashing… so perfect. Even years later I’ll throw on Lush whenever the weather (finally) hits 75 degrees.

Dusty Hayes: I found Snail Mail about a year after their debut album, Lush, dropped. I was barely nineteen years old, recently graduated from High School, unemployed, and not enrolled in college. About the only things I had going for me were that I owned a car and had five thousand dollars in savings. I spent the Fall of that year cruising around the backroads of the Midwest with no destination in mind. That whole time, Lush was blaring out of the speakers of my car. I must have listened to the album a thousand times as I raced from Indianapolis to Ann Arbor to Chicago. Even today, when I hear the opening riff of “Pristine,” I can smell the old leather seats of that car and feel the country air blowing in my hair.

Jonah Evans: I love the memories and imagery I’m getting from Dusty and Julia. Now I just want to drive on the open road and listen to Snail Mail. I don’t remember where I first heard Snail Mail. I do know that it was “Slug” that got me into the band. Dirty swinging guitars, Lindsey Jordan’s voice stretching over the song, longing and steady. So good. I remember listening to Lush a lot. The guitar work is what’s always stood out to me. I remember seeing them live for the first time in 2018 or 2019 and being like, wow! The music is chill, but the performance is so punchy! I love when a band translates their music to performance so amazingly.

Snail Mail "Ricochet" © Daria Kobayashi Ritch — Snail Mail “Ricochet” © Daria Kobayashi Ritch

**What are your initial impressions and reactions to Ricochet?**

Julia: Really really strongly like, approaching love! Especially when “My Maker” came out as a single I was like, “woah.” I love the strings and how everything feels so grandiose and detailed.

Dusty: My first thought after hearing the full album was that the sound had matured exponentially since Valentine. Whereas earlier albums had a general feel of young adulthood and finding your way in the world, Ricochet sounds more firm and refined. The lyrics express a confidence that earlier albums lacked, and the instrumentals have a slightly less alternative sound in favor of something more adult contemporary.

Jonah: The biggest thing I noticed on the record were the strings, similar to how Julia mentioned the grandiose vibe. It’s interesting how seamlessly the strings dip in and out of the songs. The songs feel light to the touch. I agree with Dusty that the record is getting more into this adult contemporary space or what have you.

Snail Mail’s “Dead End” Makes Heartbreak a Bit More Bearable

:: REVIEW ::

**How does this album compare to 2021’s Valentine and 2018’s Lush – what are the most striking similarities or differences?**

Julia: I think Snail Mail’s raw vocals are obviously the connecting thread. At her most upbeat, her songs are alternative rock-y and heavily guitar driven. At her most languid, her songs are shoegaze-adjacent. Ricochet I think is more ambitious in the sense that her songs feel like arrangements instead of a rock band in a garage throwing things together, (I naturally love both approaches,) but all of her music is definitely in the same universe. No left turn from Renaissance into Cowboy Carter here. I will say I saw her at Brooklyn Paramount a few days ago and the crowd completely lit up when she did “Heat Wave” and “Speaking Terms.”

Dusty: I think we have seen a pretty obvious progression in Snail Mail’s sound over the years. Lush was a raw album that drew an unfiltered portrait of the band; it was all hot guitar licks and morose vocals. Then came Valentine, which, for me, was a disappointment. It sounded over-produced, like the band didn’t have full creative control. To me it just wasn’t Snail Mail, it was more like a board of out of touch directors took a crack at imitating Snail Mail. This led to fears on my end that Ricochet would follow suit. Those fears were dashed, however, when the album dropped. It ended up being a more comprehensive version of Lush. It lacks that jagged edge that their debut had but in it’s place is a fine layer of polish added by a professional mixing team which elevates it to new heights. Across these three releases, the one constant I have noticed is frontwoman Lindsay Jordan’s enamoring vocals. Her poignant lyrical performances tie the band together; they’re what make Snail Mail Snail Mail.

Jonah: I like that Dusty pointed out the continued enamoring vocals. That is definitely a constant across the albums. Valentine feels like it had more electronic moments. Such as in the song “Ben Franklin,” there are definitely some Imogen Heap vibes. And I like this observation Dusty pointed out as well that Ricochet is a more comprehensive version of Lush. Ricochet is like, if I could paint a painting as big as I want with all the layers I want, what would that look like?

‘Lush’ is Snail Mail’s Cinematic, Romantic Coming-of-Age Story

:: REVIEW ::

**Snail Mail teased Ricochet with “Dead End,” “My Maker,” and “Tractor Beam.” Are these singles faithful representations of the album?**

Julia: I think introducing the album with “Dead End” was a good choice – it feels like it could be a bonus track on Valentine. All three songs are super strong, though, I’d pick the same ones! Also just wanted to say it took me 20 minutes to figure out that the guitar sliding up in “Tractor Beam” reminds me of “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia.

Dusty: While these are all incredible tunes, I don’t think “My Maker” was the most faithful representation of the album. It’s one of the slowest songs, if not the slowest, and I think that using it as a teaser is giving too much away. The teaser tracks should show off what the album has to offer without giving too much away. It is my opinion that using “My Maker” showed the limits of the album’s depth too early and took away some of its bite.

Jonah: I would say yes they are faithful representations to the album. I would say specifically because the strings integrated into the album are the most noticeable change for me and they weave in and out of these songs like they do on most of the album.

Ricochet has been called an album “about realizing – and accepting – that the world still turns no matter what is going on in your tiny life.” Does this description capture the spirit of these songs, and where do you hear or feel it most?

Julia: I can see that, especially with songs like “Hell” and “My Maker” but maybe those have the most heavy-handed references to life/death.

Dusty: Absolutely, the writing is on the wall. You need look no further than the second verse of the album’s opening track “Tractor Beam,” which directly states that the world keeps spinning in spite of personal circumstances.

Jonah: I think so. I think it could be argued that the names of the songs, as Julia said, does this. “Nowhere.” “Hell.” “Reverie.” “Dead End.” “Butterfly.” I think the song names inherently infuse this spirit and I think I hear it most in “Reverie.” It’s a very literal and lyrical acceptance of living and being.

Which song(s) stand out for you on the album, and why?

Julia: “Cruise,” let’s freaking talk about it! First of all, an alternative rock song in 3 4? So cool and makes me visualize people waltzing around a ballroom. The strings are definitely the most noticeable instrument but I love the drum track, too! And the part with the trumpet? Snail, snail, snail you’ve outdone yourself.

Dusty: “Agony Freak” by a mile. I have been absolutely obsessed with this song. It’s got a grunge-heavy sound and a bridge that is reminiscent of such bands from the 90s, particularly No Doubt.

Jonah: My standout is “Agony Freak” too! I like the cadence Jordan uses while singing in this song. The keyboard melody bops up and down in a kind of playful way and it’s nice. It’s got some of those dirty guitars Jordan is so good at and the bridge is very very nice. How this song is spaced is great and I can taste all the harmonies, melodies, and instruments very clearly.

Do you have any favorite lyrics so far? Which lines stand out?

Julia: “Another year gone by: What if nothing matters? Waiting ’round to die to see what happens after. Battalions of angels marching from on high. Say, ‘Above us, it’s just sky.’“

Dusty: “I tried to feed it, but it just wants more / I can’t remember who I was before. It’s never enough time / we’re always falling asleep.”

Jonah: YES. SAME. From “Agony Freak.” “I tried to feed it, but it just wants more.” I love that line and it’s so potent and so real. When you’re trying to figure something out so much that you feed it, but really, it can be about letting go more often than not.

**Where do you feel Ricochet sits in the pantheon of Snail Mail’s discography?**

Julia: That’s the million dollar question. It might be the nostalgia that’s skewing my opinion, but I unfortunately think no Snail Mail album will ever come close to Lush. It just captures such a specific indie-alternative sound and feeling and moment in music culture that keeps me going back again and again. Ricochet is one of my favorite albums of the year so far, and a great departure for Snail Mail as an artist, (obviously more grown up etc.,) but I wouldn’t call it her best work.

Dusty: I think Ricochet may just be the masterpiece of Snail Mail’s discography thus far. It has the energy and passion of Lush as well as a more professional studio sound that is done much better here than on Valentine. To me, Ricochet is all the best things Snail Mail has had to offer in the past put together on one record. It has the melancholy lyrics, the weeping guitars, and the aloof attitude that define the band. All of this, with the addition of an absolutely killer string section, makes for a record that can’t be beat. It’s the best they’ve done so far, and it gives me hope that even better things are coming in the future.

Jonah: I’m reminded of Weezer’s Green Album. They had some hits there like “Island in the Sun,” and “Hash Pipe.” I listened to the album a bunch while it didn’t have the rawness and sadness and jovialness of Pinkerton. They were exploring different ways to make albums. Snail Mail has been doing that too, which is great. While I don’t think Ricochet doesn’t hit like Lush, I see it as an important step in Jordan’s evolution in seeing how she can compose music and continue reimagining what shapes she can play with. From raw guitars, to symphonic strings, there is more yet to come.

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