Baltimore’s Snail Mail is the musical project of Lindsey Jordan. I found out about them whilst perusing Bandcamp. 2016 is almost over so I can almost safely say that Snail Mail’s recent cassette-and-digital release Habit is the best album I’ve heard all year. Chances are you’re gonna see THIS picture below again when the BCS “Best of 2016” list is compiled:

Stumbling upon it was like finding an overlooked cassette from the 90s in my basement, or hidden on the shelves of a college radio station, maybe even in a dusty shoebox of some enchanted  attic. There’s a lot of Mazzy Star, a little My Bloody Valentine, a healthy scoop of Blake Babies (and college rock in general), but not in some lousy throwback way. It’s just tremendous music.

The opening track “Thinning” is a rare beauty. Here, listen to it:

And here’s a video of another solid track called “Slug”:

I was nervous for this one. It sets you off kilter a bit when a great album surprises you. You worry the artist behind it might be some difficult, bizarre genius or a jerk that’s totally aware of their greatness. But Lindsey was gracious and kind. I got even more nervous when she said she’s only 17, still in high school. How the hell could I possibly ask relevant questions of someone who inhabits a universe to which I know almost nothing about? Oh well. What ensued was a lovely conversation about music, songwriting, sexism, punk, growing up, cassettes, the 90s, and a whole lot more. Enjoy!

Download this episode (right click and save)
Listen on iTunes
Snail Mail Website