• Features
  • Reviews
  • New Music
  • Interviews
  • Polls
  • About
  • Search
Menu

Albumism

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Celebrating our love affairs with albums past, present and future

Albumism

  • Features
  • Reviews
  • New Music
  • Interviews
  • Polls
  • About
  • Search

ALBUM REVIEW: Soccer Mommy’s ‘Clean’ Juxtaposes Youthful Earnestness with Musical Maturity

March 12, 2018 Liz Itkowsky

Soccer Mommy
Clean
Fat Possum
Buy: Bandcamp | Fat Possum | Amazon | iTunes | Listen Below

Clean is the first studio album from 20-year old Sophie Allison, who previously gained buzz the old-fashioned way, self-releasing her music on Bandcamp. Allison, a Nashville native who performs under the moniker Soccer Mommy, has moved away from home, started (and left) college, and was interviewed by the New York Times as one of the young women saving rock & roll. But rather than focus on her relatively fast trajectory to musical acclaim, Allison trades in nostalgia and self-reflection, like Taylor Swift before the haters.

Clear-eyed and sincere, Clean contains plenty of youthful earnestness. Lyrically, Allison is self-aware, keenly attuned to her insecurities. Her world has a pop-punk familiarity, like Blue Album-Weezer and Liz Phair. And while Allison dedicates several lines to wistful jealousy of “other girls,” it’s hard to not think she might be cooler than them already. She’s tough, standing up to an unworthy companion in “Your Dog.” But she’s still prone to insecurity, coping through humor on “Cool.”

A personal snapshot, Clean freezes time, like a visit home after being away. Her preoccupations are teenage (and occasionally timeless) leftovers, but more grown-up signatures are scribbled throughout. The way she easily drawls expletives and the patient restraint in the beautiful “Blossom (Wasting All My Time),” are marks of a mature musician. Bouncy tracks like “Cool” and “Last Girl” feel like the first warm day after you get your driver’s license. They’re evergreen, every-girl songs, but never silly. “Scorpio Rising” is a heartfelt emo sing-along, with clever millennial reasoning like, “And I'm just a victim of changing planets / My Scorpio rising and my parents.”

Allison first released music on Orchid Tapes, the label of choice for those with a bedroom recording studio, like Alex G and Ricky Eats Acid. But despite her DIY roots, she remembers an influence decidedly more mainstream. Allison recalls a love of Avril Lavigne in a January 2018 interview with The Fader: “Under My Skin was the first CD I ever owned. That’s how this person came about.” There’s a pop-punk backbone to Clean, so it’s easy to imagine the “Sk8tr Boi” singer as a very early favorite of Allison’s. Even against dreamy Deerhoof-style production, Soccer Mommy’s debut is consistently fun, with freshly journaled lyrics on top of charming lo-fi rock.

Notable Tracks: “Cool” | “Scorpio Rising” | “Your Dog”

LISTEN:

Tags Soccer Mommy
← The Breeders Recalibrate and Reignite on Agitated, Arresting ‘All Nerve’ | Album ReviewALBUM REVIEW: Titus Andronicus Demand (and Command) Our Attention on ‘A Productive Cough’ →

Featured
The National’s ‘High Violet’ Turns 15 | Album Anniversary
The National’s ‘High Violet’ Turns 15 | Album Anniversary
Grace Jones’ ‘Warm Leatherette’ Turns 45 | Album Anniversary
Grace Jones’ ‘Warm Leatherette’ Turns 45 | Album Anniversary
The Jayhawks’ ‘Smile’ Turns 25 | Album Anniversary
The Jayhawks’ ‘Smile’ Turns 25 | Album Anniversary

©2025 Albumism | All Rights Reserved. Use of any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. The content on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Albumism.