Snail Mail
Lush

There are far too many young girls today who can barely play the guitar and sing off-key, trying to pass themselves off as 90's Lo-Fi indie-rockers. A bit hyped by Pitchfork, a bit supported by online channels like Tiny Desk and KEXP, and a bit buoyed by their virginal and post-hipster aura.

Snail Mail, however, caught my attention right away thanks to her first video clip Thinning from the debut EP Habit: perfectly equalized lo-fi sound in my opinion, slightly above-average guitar technique, and such a raw vocal quality that it sounds intriguing.

I thought, this one will go far; she's different from the others.

Nothing shockingly innovative or original for the alternative scene, however, as Pitchfork claims, but then Matador Records signed her for her debut Lush. The character is polished: Lindsey Jordan (born in 1999), now with peroxide blonde hair, a fiery red Fender Jaguar, and a polished sound without too much noise. "I never wanted to make a Lo-Fi record," Jordan states in a recent interview.

Thus, the album flows smoothly, like the Pavement's Crooked Rain and Liz Phair's Whip Smart, but leaves the impression that the melodies and sound come from a small, pure talent (Jordan has a classical education in guitar since she was 5 years old and she plays and composes all the tracks on the album) that brings a bit of freshness to a scene now saturated with meteors and boring followers.

The single Heat Wave has a sad melody and a desperate and sincere lyric that only teenagers can conceive. The opening track Intro seems like a b-side from early Fiona Apple, and Pristine remains a classic indie-rock piece that will (perhaps) stay in the history of pop. My favorite tracks: the big ballad Deep Sea and the beautiful Speaking Terms, with that guitar sound reminiscent of Sonic Youth's Rather Ripped and a more nostalgic mood.

I don't know if her career will last long, but I truly hope so. What we surely have left is this little indie-pop gem to cry to like young girls on autumn days and her beautiful live videos on YouTube that testify to a talent not created in the studio.

Fresh.