Words and Photos by Erin Christie
Since the 2018 release of Snail Mail's Lush, the Baltimore-born band has only gained more and more momentum on a steady incline toward indie-rock greatness. With hit singles such as "Pristine" and "Heat Wave," vocalist/songwriter Lindsey Jordan has propelled her vision forward with stunning drive from the gate, backed by a truckload of musical prowess, a warbly crooning drawl, and shimmering guitar-led melodies.
With the recent release of their long-awaited sophomore album, Valentine (via Matador Records), it's plain to see that Snail Mail's well of hook-driven poppy numbers with heart has yet to run dry. Though the record abandoned the DIY quality of Snail Mail's classic sound and replaced it with increased technical precision and improved vocal chops (thanks, in part, to Jordan's recent surgery), these new tracks keep the band's brand of sappy, but cutting indie-pop interesting, and worth coming back to time and time again. In a live setting, the infectious quality of said tracks is even truer, especially when the band themselves are surrounded by a stage of bow-and-arrow-clad cupids, laying the band's spell on thick.
In the past few years, Snail Mail has taken Boston by storm a number of times, and with each year, they've risen to play even larger venues, from their 2018 headliner at the now defunct Great Scott to their most recent set at nightclub The Royale. All the while, demand for tickets has understandably grown and their audience has continued to increase, a sign, too, of their ability to create songs that beg to be heard live, while surrounded by like-minded fans screaming their hearts out to the words of love, lust, loss, and longing. If one thing's certain, it's that over a few years' time, Snail Mail thankfully hasn't lost their spark, but have retained a crowd of adoring fans that have traveled with them from infancy to now.
Below, view a series of photo galleries taken at Snail Mail shows in Boston over the past four years.
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