Habit (EP)
2016 EP by Snail Mail
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Habit is the debut extended play by American indie rock musician Snail Mail, originally released on July 12, 2016 through Sister Polygon Records[1] and later reissued through Matador Records on August 30, 2019.[2] Its only single, "Thinning", was released on January 26, 2017.
| Habit | ||||
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | July 12, 2016 | |||
| Recorded | Spring 2016 (Washington, D.C.) | |||
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| Length | 27:49 | |||
| Label | Sister Polygon | |||
| Producer |
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| Snail Mail chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Habit | ||||
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Background and recording
Lindsey Jordan wrote the songs on Habit at age 15,[3] and recounted the process as "all over the place and messy".[4] She said she wrote the EP "almost hastily", believing it would not be heard by many people. She commented, "I wrote the songs about things that were so personal that I actually almost hoped nobody would [hear the songs]. I was like, ‘Uh oh, this girl is going to know it’s about her. This is deep, top secret.’"[3]
The EP was recorded live.[5] Jordan suffered from bronchitis throughout the entirety of the EP's recording process, which she said made tracking satisfactory vocal takes very difficult.[4]
Musical style
Critical reception
In a review for Pitchfork, Quinn Moreland gave the album a score of 7.7/10. Moreland wrote that the album "wallows in uncertainty and transition – but their songwriting makes it feel both adolescent and eternal... Perhaps that is why Snail Mail sound so alive despite much tangible optimism: there's no person behind a curtain, the ugly resides in reality."[6] The single "Thinning" also caught the attention of NM Mashurov of Pitchfork, who included the song on Pitchfork's "best new track" list, describing the song as "lo-fi dream-pop/garage, flat affect carried by fuzzy guitars, indie-pop melodies... 'Thinning' feels lush, like the momentary satisfaction of crawling back into bed when the outside world is too much."[9]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Lindsey Jordan, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Thinning" | 3:24 |
| 2. | "Habit" | 3:44 |
| 3. | "Static Buzz" | 5:17 |
| 4. | "Dirt" | 5:10 |
| 5. | "Slug" | 4:36 |
| 6. | "Stick" | 5:42 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "The 2nd Most Beautiful Girl in the World" | Lois Maffeo, Pat Maley | 2:13 |
Personnel
- Lindsey Jordan – guitar, vocals
- Shawn Durham – drums
- Ryan Vieira – bass
- Jason Sauvage – recording, production
- G.L. Jaguar – recording, production
- TJ Lipple – mastering
- Megan Schaller – artwork
- Taylor Mulitz – design, layout
2019 Matador reissue
- Ray Brown – drums (on "The 2nd Most Beautiful Girl in the World")
- Alex Bass – bass (on "The 2nd Most Beautiful Girl in the World")
- Jake Aron – production, mixing, engineering (on "The 2nd Most Beautiful Girl in the World")
- Dave Cooley – remastering
- Mike Zimmerman – design, layout