Water the Flowers, Pray for Valley to come back to San Diego
Photo taken by @stillsbyryan
Valley, a Toronto-based pop band, stopped by North Park Observatory while on tour promoting their new album “Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden.” The band is currently touring the United States, their first tour since the departure of their guitarist Michael Brandolino, and while the loss feels palpable in their lyrics, they’re sounding stronger than ever.
The show opened with a solo, guitar-driven set from singer/songwriter Charli Adams. Adams, who matched her outfit to her black Gibson SG, played an intimate but resonant set full of ballads and love songs reminiscent of acts like early-Phoebe Bridgers and “Sprained Ankle”-era Julien Baker.
Photo taken by @stillsbyryan
Adams’ voice, creatively and literally, is still developing, but she demonstrated a refined control of dynamics and inflection, as well as tasteful guitar playing. The guitar was warm and full-bodied, and her chords were always modified at just the right time to subtly accentuate the emotional tone of her lyrics. She brought the audience to tears with her rendition of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle,” before closing her set with her biggest hit, “Backseat.”
Photo taken by @stillsbyryan
Following Adams was a secondary act, Mickey Darling, an eclectic indie pop group out of San Antonio, Texas. This was the kind of band that looked like they were having a bunch of fun on stage and were able to translate that feeling to the crowd. The members sang along to every song, kicked and jostled each other, and laughed with the comfortability of professional rock stars.
Photo taken by @stillsbyryan
Lead singer Skyler Molina had a David Byrne-like eccentricity combined with the vocal presence of Dan Bejar from Destroyer. The group’s sound was characterized by sprawling choruses reminiscent of M83 projects like “Saturdays = Youth” and “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.” Despite a traditional four-piece set-up of guitar, bass, drums, and vocals, the band boasted a very spacious sound that was so warm in tone it felt almost pastoral; the choruses felt as if I was running through a field and their music was falling from the sky.
Photo taken by @stillsbyryan
When it was Valley’s turn to take the stage, they walked out on a bed of grassy turf to the sounds of rainfall and synth pads. They started their set with the album’s titular single, “Water the Flowers, Pray For a Garden,” and followed it with “Bass Player’s Brother.” The band’s sound felt audibly different depending on what era of their discography they were pulling songs from. Their early songs’ twinkly guitars and studio pop sensibilities were reminiscent of The 1975 or The Midnight, while their newer work leaned toward the sound of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers if it were played by an exemplary worship band.
Photo taken by @stillsbyryan
Going into the show, I always felt like the band’s studio recordings were phenomenally clean, precise, and professional, but lacking an “it” factor; some part of the personality was missing to make it stand out. While I felt this was still true live, at least in this setting they were able to make up for it with how much energy they brought to the stage, and how much they were able to engage with the crowd.
Photo taken by @stillsbyryan
And the crowd ate it up. I knew they had a strong fanbase walking in, but the Val-pals did not disappoint. An incredibly fun and cheerful crowd, there wasn’t a bad vibe in the room all night, and the band rewarded them for it. Near the end of their set, the band let the crowd pick the next song, offering them three choices and picking whichever one they cheered to the loudest. Jem from San Diego came to the show alone, “I discovered [Valley] a bit before this new album came out,” she said. “‘sucks to see you doing better’ is my screaming-with-the-windows-down song. It resonated with me when I was having a break-up; it’s empowering.”
Photo taken by @stillsbyryan
After thanking the crowd about a thousand times for coming, the band closed their set with a trilogy of songs that brought the house down: “When You Know Someone,” “There’s Still A Light In The House,” and “Bop Ba.” With a solid set-list, an incredible live sound, and an enamored fan base, even if the band doesn’t have an “it” factor, they’ve definitely crafted a Valley for themselves.
