REVIEW: A Night of Atmospheric Indie with Snail Mail and Soccer Mommy

Oct 13

10/06 @ The Egg, Albany

“In terms of creating a cohesive atmosphere, Snail Mail and Soccer Mommy have a similar approach to their genre…Perhaps this was why, when Soccer Mommy took the stage, I wasn’t as wowed as I had been the first time I saw her.”

Walking down the State Street sidewalk underneath the pink and grey skies of a gorgeous October sunset, I thought of the last time I came to see Soccer Mommy at The Egg. It was a bleak night in January 2025, a snowstorm blanketing the Capital Region, forcing me and many others to question if it was actually safe to hit the roads. Praying to the upstate snow gods, I went, thankfully, because it was a show that had me stunned. It was still towards the beginning of my time with Metroland, and in the midst of an emotional week in my personal life, so the moment I got to hear “Your Dog” knowing I would be the one writing about it was both gratifying and nervewracking.

On this night a year and a half later, under clear skies and the comfort of more experience and stability, I walked into The Hart Theatre with more excitement and curiosity than nerves and imposter syndrome. Though I did forget my earplugs, so maybe I’m not that experienced.

I found my seat just as the first opener, Brennan Wedl, took center stage with her three bandmates. Two songs in, I found myself scanning the room to take in my surroundings: the red faux-velvet seats, the wood paneling on the walls, the vaulted ceiling with several tiers to it. Yes, I was definitely in a classy venue, but Wedl made the setting feel as intimate as a house show. Her comments between songs were delivered casually, as if to a room full of longtime friends rather than a brand new audience. She spoke of testing out a Benson Boone backflip since it was a rare moment of her taking the stage in tennis shoes, as well as regaling us with the story of trying handstands in the Home Depot parking lot earlier that day, eliciting some chuckles from the crowd.

Her vocal delivery throughout the songs felt straightforward as well. With an alto-forward voice, she sang straight through each word, rarely reaching for a note in a higher register, instead hitting each word without fuss or frills. It all felt very Sheryl Crow, the way there was an edge of irony to the delivery.

Though much of the set fell into the classic alt-indie sound, her home base of Nashville did peek through the melodies with some twangs from the bass and even some of her melodies in the acoustic moments. Her occasional harmonies with her guitarist brought some intrigue as they elevated the song with a higher note, drawing the attention towards the words.

Towards the end, Wedl turned things up with the track “Two Dollar Pistol,” leaning into guitar melodies that opted for a grittier, rough around the edges sound, but in an appealing way. She matched it with her own vocals, increasing her own intensity and force as she sang.

After a quick break, Snail Mail took the stage to a crowd that was now beginning to fill up. Before diving into the rest of the set, though, I need to step out of the moment and acknowledge that lead singer Lindsey Erin Jordan switched guitars with a stage hand at least six times during the set. Honestly, it was definitely more and I should have counted. Understandable, but it took me out of the moment and made for a choppy, stop-and-go feel to the set.

While I was most excited for Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail fits into a niche of indie that I really appreciate for its ability to allow the listener to feel both engaged and at rest. Jordan’s voice falls right in the middle of the range of the strings and keys in her songs; it refrains from demanding attention. This quality makes each song feel fluid, though on the flip side, it can also make them feel the same. It’s a challenging line for the genre in general, not just for Snail Mail.

The commonalities between each song can definitely be an attraction for listeners as it creates an overall atmosphere to step into. It’s calm, it’s melodic, it’s warmly blended, but it maintains substance. Not once did I feel the set was forced, even if I might have been drifting in and out of focus a little.

Her strongest song was “Ricochet,” just her and the cellist, where it allowed for her voice to come through as its own entity rather than falling back into the instrumentals. It’s not a traditionally “pretty” voice, but it’s one that’s real, and has an ability to convey emotion in a manner that tugs at you. I loved the darker tones this song took; it beckoned the audience towards her with the raw hurt in her voice.

In terms of creating a cohesive atmosphere, Snail Mail and Soccer Mommy have a similar approach to their genre — warm voices that blend into the rest of the song as an instrument rather than a focal point. Perhaps this was why, when Soccer Mommy took the stage, I wasn’t as wowed as I had been the first time I saw her.

She began with “circle the drain,” one of my favorites for both the lyricism and the intentionally wobbly sound on the production. I was happy to hear it to start out the night, but it didn’t bring me any of the same feelings I normally associate with the song: no awe from hearing it live, no heartstrings twinging, not even a surge of excitement at an especially strong delivery of a line. Huh, I thought to myself. Weird.

Three songs later — "Abigail," “Driver,” and “Bones” — I realized what the issue might be. This was nearly the same setlist I had seen in 2025. And again with “Driver,” a song of hers that’s a little punchier and “in your face,” there was nothing that wowed me. The atmosphere had been created long before with Snail Mail, and now, there was nothing elevating it or adding a new element.

I spent time waiting for anything that drew me closer to her normally emotionally evocative lyrics, but there was little emphasis on lines or even on other instruments. This time, the set was falling into the trap of each song sounding too alike, the calm atmosphere turning to monotony.

Again, “Your Dog” was the last song of the main set, and while I had been waiting to see if I would experience that same visceral moment from last time, it never came. She sang well, the band played well, but nothing excited me in a way that was different from the studio recordings. Even the set and their interactions with each other were run-of-the-mill, whereas last time she had created a garden of flowers and soft colors on stage. The encore, a cover of Liz Phair’s “Fuck and Run” with Lindsey Erin Jordan, was underwhelming. I want to reiterate that I am a fan of Soccer Mommy, I’ve been listening to her for years, but this show just was not resonating with me.

It could have been my own problem: it was a Tuesday night, I’ve been tired lately, I’ve already seen her once so the expectations were higher, I’ve been to a lot more shows between January 2025 and now so perhaps my standards have changed. Or, perhaps, it really just was not as strong as last time. Whatever the reason may be, I’m still a fan.