October 27, 2021

Snail Mail - "Madonna"


Snail Mail's new album Valentine is out next week. Check out another single, "Madonna," ahead of the full release.

"Madonna" is a slow starter of a jam from Lindsey Jordan. It slinks along with a certain subtly that never results in the explosive sound like we heard on "Valentine" and it's not as synth-forward as "Ben Franklin." Better yet, it changes up the textures and gives us something new from Snail Mail and expands the range we can expect on the new record. The beginning feels like a bit of a drag with the drums and bass ever so slightly behind the beat, but when it finally catches up, we are treated to a fully realized sound, just before Jordan scales it back once again. "I am excited to share this one!" Jordan said in a statement. "In summation it’s about why love can’t exist between a person and a concept of a person. Remove the pedestal and you might realize there was never anything there at all." The patterns and structure of the song defy the norms and that is what makes it the most exciting. It never does quite what you think or expect and that is what builds up the charm. Never knowing what will come next and hitting repeat just so you can listen to it again with this new perspective. It's not catchy, but still draws you in so you can crack the code and find new patterns in Jordan's expressive soundscape.

Valentine is out November 5 via Matador.

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