March 02, 2018 - 11:42 AM
Soccer Mommy, "Clean" (Fat Possum)
Sometimes, someone sneaks to the front of the line, grabs attention and gets fast-tracked to good things. This year, for minimalist rock, that line-cutter is Soccer Mommy and she's so good it's hard to hate on her full debut album "Clean."
Nashville native Sophie Allison is Soccer Mommy, a 20-year-old guitar wielding wunderkind with a voice that lilts in all the right places. If you need to box "Clean" in a bin, it's lush pop, replete with melt-away guitar work gorgeous hooks held together by smart lyrics sung well.
"Cool" is a dazzling descriptor for the song's protagonist, an untouchable "stoner girl" who torments her boyfriend. "Flaw" dabbles in self-loathing and dark introspection. Soccer Mommy has figured out how to make sad catchy again, years after the shoegazer genre ran its course.
"Scorpio Rising" reaches a crescendo of feedback and deconstruction as Soccer Mommy sings about a struggle with identity. None of these songs will break the speed barrier, but they may your heart.
"Clean" is well mixed, well delivered and well done. Load up the minivan and give Soccer Mommy a spin.
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