The third studio album from Snail Mail, called Ricochet, is a stunning collection of 11 songs that reflect on Lindsey Jordan’s past few years, while having a focus on themes like mortality and the uncertainty of what happens to our souls in the afterlife. The set was produced by Momma bassist Aron Kobayashi Ritch, and this album has a similar feel to the latest effort from that band, while still staying authentic to the overall songwriting approach from Jordan. While her previous record (Valentine) dealt more with matters from their heart and relationships, Ricochet takes a more spiritual approach. “Misery feels safe to write about because I am good at it,” Jordan says, “but I’m not bathing in my own agony anymore.” By putting her most confident step forward in her artistic self-discovery to date, Ricochet is a strong contender for this year’s best album.

Lindsey Jordan sounds like a young woman possessed. Possessed with purpose, direction, and a more rounded out sound than what came through the speakers of the bedroom pop classic debut album, Lush. Snail Mail, which is also comprised of bassist Alex Bass and drummer Ray Brown, sounds like a band pushing the boundaries of the “bedroom pop” label, and breaking down the damn door in the same process. Jordan has been put in the same vein as other artists like Soccer Mommy, Phoebe Bridgers, with even some comparisons to Fiona Apple, yet Snail Mail has found a way to break free of these similarities and created a lush (no pun intended) and rounded out sound on Valentine.

The Ellicott City, Maryland based artist is ready to explode out of the indie rock scene, and has already collected several high album ratings for Valentine from other music publications (and rightfully so). From the initial chords on the title track as Jordan croons, “Let’s go be alone / Where no one can see us, honey / Careful in that room / Those parasitic cameras, don’t they stop to stare at you,” it’s almost as if Snail Mail is making the conscious choice to leave that “room” that trapped her in the bedroom pop label, and leave that scene far behind as Jordan establishes herself as one of the better artists in the indie pop realm. As Jordan explodes into the chorus of, “So why’d you wanna erase me, darling valentine? / You always know where to find me when you change your mind,” it becomes crystal clear that she has the songwriting chops to elevate her game at just the right time.