Posted November 3, 2018 by Kailey Howell Concert Reviews & Galleries

Boys of Fall celebrate release of new album Better Moments with packed hometown show

“The album is full of songs that one can’t help but get stuck in their head all day long, in a good way.”

Hometown heroes Boys of Fall released their second full length album this past weekend via InVogue Records with a celebratory hometown show featuring friends in local bands the Illustrator, Young Pioneer and Novara. The show was also the second stop of the InVogue Records tour featuring Ky Rogers and In Her Own Words.

“To sum up Better Moments into one word, I’d use ‘honest.’” said vocalist Mike Martenson in a press release. “We went through so much as a band and as people over the past two years, and this album is a mix of all those emotions and experiences blended with a style of music we felt was different, yet pushed the boundaries of what we were always trying to do.”

First thing’s first; yes Martenson screams on this album. The band originated as a post hardcore band when they first formed. Martenson is known for his deep, powerful harsh vocals in their early work. However, once the band signed with InVogue, singles like “Chasing Lonely” had a very pop punk vibe,

Martenson’s harsh vocals lend themselves nicely to a verse in “Arson”, the fourth track on Better Moments. Those screams worked well in a live performance of the song, picking up the already high energy in the room.

The rest of the album definitely keeps up the catchy, sing along, pop heavy alternative tone.

The album is full of songs that one can’t help but get stuck in their head all day long, in a good way. Songs like “Bad Company” and “Giving Up” make great use of Martenson and accompanying vocalist Jake Cemer’s powerful clean vocals.

One of the strongest tracks on the album is “Finding Home”. Lyrics like “if I lost her I’m worth nothing” and “I don’t know me when she’s not around” show the importance of their significant others while the band is away on tour.

The Loving Touch was packed with friends and family eager to celebrate with the band. Novara opened the evening with their indie pop ballads. Vocalist Samantha Norman serenaded the room during “Too Sweet.”

We met Ky Rogers when he opened for Landon Tewers over the summer and instantly fell in love with his work. The Tennessee native’s songwriting is full of raw emotion that fans can resonate with. His humble demeanor drew the crowd close around the stage as he performed.

The Illustrator recently released their debut album This Ones For You… so there was high anticipation for their live set. They opened with “Curtain Call,” the first track on the album. This band is definitely one to keep your eye on, their energy on stage was unreal.

Indie pop band Young Pioneer brings upbeat tunes that the crowd could easily sing along to. During their most recent song “Never Look Back” almost everyone up front was singing back to vocalist Ben Awrey.

LA based band In Her Own Words are a perfect compliment to Boys of Fall on this tour. The bands interaction with the crowd brought a level of intimacy to the set, making one feel as if they were a part of the band.

The InVogue tour continues through November. Dates and tickets can be found here.

You can stream Better Moments here.