Double Review: Amine’s “TWOPOINTFIVE” and Snail Mail’s “Valentine”
Hey! How are you? Are you having a good week? Happy Veterans Day!
Because of Outside Lands and a different, horribly run festival, I haven’t gotten to write any reviews this month - that sucks, so I’m gonna fix it. I was going to review “Veteran” as a gag today, but I’d rather give some insight on two recent releases that I really enjoyed.
If you’re looking for a “Veteran” review: it’s incredible yet unnerving, lyrically hilarious, and artistically innovative. JPEGMAFIA is the master of production and instrumentals, and I admire him more than is appropriate.
“Baby I’m Bleeding” is my favorite Peggy track (possibly soon to be usurped by “HAZARD DUTY PAY!”) and I love “Veteran” with all my heart.
Real quick before we get started, make sure to subscribe to the newsletter, follow me on Twitter, and share this article with your friends who like music and long-winded writers.
“TWOPOINTFIVE” - Aminé
TL;DR: Aminé leans into hyperpop stylings, but still brings insightful and clever lyrics to the forefront on a project that lacks cohesion, but makes up for it by being thoroughly entertaining - 8/10
I have professed my love for Aminé on multiple occasions in this newsletter’s storied history - he is fun, he is clever, and his melodic brand of rap is an instant good time.
“TWOPOINTFIVE,” whether it wants to be or not, is the spiritual successor to Aminé’s first “ellpmixtapealbum” project, “ONEPOINTFIVE.”
THAT project is near-perfect. It has the iconic “REEL IT IN,” the introspective and intelligent “DR. WHOEVER,” and “BLACKJACK,” which is not only a great song, but one of my favorite music videos ever. How can you not like Jack Black?
“ONEPOINTFIVE” feels cohesive, despite not being a fully realized album. It falls under the Aminé umbrella, while “TWOPOINTFIVE” is more of a stylistic departure. This is a good thing! I love when artists experiment, even if their following is expecting more of the same. We should reward artists who experiment.
I said at the end of my Best of October newsletter that I hoped Aminé leaned more into the hyperpop sounds of “Charmander,” which was released at the end of the month.
He absolutely did, and that’s awesome! Artists like Rico Nasty, Tierra Whack, Peggy (<3) and Princess Nokia understand that hyperpop instrumentals can elevate a track to new heights, and Aminé uses the hyperpop staples to make memorable tracks like “Charmander,” “Colors” and “Sh!t2Luz” on “TWOPOINTFIVE.”
Despite not having a track like “DR. WHOEVER,” “TWOPOINTFIVE” still feels personal, with Aminé providing us little glimpses into his personal life with lines like-
Keepin' to myself, and stayin' out the way
(I've been) always on my lonely 'cause I can't change
(I-I've been) seein' how they talkin', and I'm outraged
(I-I've been) takin' care of me, don't need a damn thing
“Between the Lines” also provides some introspection from Aminé, hidden behind one of the catchier instrumentals I’ve ever heard.
When he isn’t leaning fully into the pop genre of the future, Aminé is bringing the catchy, 808-heavy melodic rap present on “Good For You” and “Limbo.” “NEO” is classic Aminé, and it’s great.
To make a long review short, I don’t think Aminé has really ever missed. I don’t think he’s CAPABLE of missing.
I’m impressed with every single one of his projects to varying degrees for different reasons, and this one is no different. Listen if you want to have a good time.
(Except for the line in Mad Funny Freestyle where he says “We finna make babies tonight, goo-goo-gaga,” I did NOT have a good time listening to that. What is that?)
“Valentine” - Snail Mail
TL;DR: Snail Mail provides yet another album on the pains of young, queer love, to the benefit of the listener. While the indie rock motifs of her previous work are not as ever present, the pop-influenced direction of “Valentine” allows for a clearer avenue for lyricism to shine - 8.5/10
This, however, is NOT a good time. It is not a bad time, but instead a sad time. It’s a masterclass in pensive songwriting, with a veneer of pop-influenced instrumentation.
While 2018’s “Lush” led with indie-style electric guitar, “Valentine” largely trades in the axe for an acoustic six-string and a synth, to Snail Mail’s benefit. “Valentine” is overall quieter than “Lush” musically, but louder in concept and within its lyrics.
Snail Mail, or Lindsey Jordan, is 22 (!!) years old, and writing like she’s experienced a full lifetime of love, loss, and fame, like her young contemporaries Clairo and Soccer Mommy.
(There’s something to be said about the societal difficulty and trauma that matures women, especially queer women, at such a young age, but I’ll leave it to someone smarter than me to say it.)
Also like her contemporaries, Jordan is incredibly vulnerable throughout the run time of “Valentine,” leaving us no doubt that she’s been through a lot in the past three years, including a stint in rehab and the loss of love.
“Ben Franklin'' is a highlight track. The bass riff is incredibly catchy, the chorus sticks with you despite its sadder connotations, and it shows just how good Jordan is at what she does.
“Madonna” possesses much of the same qualities - I love the bass, as well as the discordant arpeggiated guitar sounds, and her voice is understated and powerful all at once.
The recent uptick in genuine, raw and emotional songwriting from queer women is to the benefit of queer people everywhere - Snail Mail and her previously mentioned contemporaries vocalize the mindset of many young members of the LGBTQ+ community, and it brings ingenious twists to the familiar “young love” motif that has been present in music for decades upon decades.
“Valentine” is a wonderful piece of work, and Snail Mail has the potential to be a special artist in this new crop of young indie talent.
Well, that’s what I’ve got for you today. This was really fun, I really love writing reviews like this.
If you’ve gotten to this point, your reward is this playlist full of songs that I made recently that fill me with such a warm and fuzzy feeling that I smile for hours after listening. Lots of folk on here. Give it a listen.
If you liked, subscribe, and if you didn’t, don’t tell anybody. I’ll talk to you guys on Monday. I hope you have a great weekend!! Love you! Bye!