Live Shows: Lovina Falls, The Daylilies, and Roser, Deep Cuts, June 13, 2025

One thing I love about seeing newer bands multiple times is watching their sound evolve. The first time I saw Lovina Falls live was their 2024 appearance at the Rock and Roll Rumble, where they showcased a more baroque pop sound. I've seen them a few times since then, and each time they've adopted a more rock based or dream pop sound. Friday night they played Deep Cuts for a release party for the excellent "Light and Low" single. I had to head out to Medford to see where their evolution is currently taking them.

Opening the show was Roser, a band I know from some local compilations but I don't believe I've formally covered before. They're a Lowell based band that plays a sound that combines the bounciness of pop punk with the haze of dream pop. At some points they were more one genre than the other, and others their sound was a combination of both. It was a set that was fun but with just a hint of darkness to the music to keep things interesting. Lowell bands seem to specialize in taking familiar sounds and twisting them in a unique way, and Roser does just that. Their performance was filled with songs that were both melodic and dissonant, which is kind of our thing here.

Up next were The Daylilies, a band that wins me over a little more each time I see them. Their set of rock based pop music was a perfect bridge between Roser and Lovina Falls, with songs that ranged from New Wave inspired pop songs that could have been from the 80's to some mid to late 90's power pop. Singer Laura England Klain (who pulled double duty with backing vocals for Lovina Falls) adds a level of theatricality to the songs that I simply can't resist. Plus, Ad Frank's guitar work is always stellar and adds a certain rock edge to their entire sound. They're near the top of my "I need to cover this band a lot more" list.

Closing out the show was Lovina Falls, who continued their move to a more alt-rock based sound. There was still plenty of the baroque pop sound that first drew me to Valerie Forgione's project, but a heavier version. Forgione is one of the most underrated frontpeople in Boston these days, and despite how fantastic her band is, you simply can't stop watching her. The band cycled through newer songs and some favorites from their 2023 album Calculating the Angle of Our Descent, with the just released "Light and Low" being a highlight. They closed the night with 2023's "Hologram," which truly showcased their evolving sound. On the album, it's a poppy version of early New Wave, and on Friday night it had changed to a song with roots more in the world of Britpop and the electronic music from Trainspotting. Typically they've been more of a chill band live, but they ended with a full on dance party. I'm already looking forward to seeing them next time.