Soccer Mommy
color theory
Loma Vista
There are many beautiful moments on color theory, Soccer Mommy's sophomore album, but one of the most beautiful occurs more than halfway through "night swimming." The track features an undercurrent of sounds that feel like a lazy stream trickling past and through the vocals. Singer-songwriter-mastermind Sophie Allison's song is about unrequited love and the power dynamic that exists within that kind of relationship. The song's narrator is eventually left while swimming and as the character realizes what's happening, Allison sings: "You said that you had loved me but you knew that you would end up on your own / A sinking stone." Right as Allison completes the lyric, the music instantly clarifies, the aural netting removed, like earplugs falling out at a show, Allison's voice and guitar snapped completely into focus.
It's a striking move, similar to when The Wizard of Oz goes from black-and-white to color. It doesn't feel gimmicky so much as it feels like an artist truly understanding each and every aspect of a song: the lyrics reflecting the music and the music reflecting the lyrics, everything perfectly in balance.
I suspect there will be a tendency to describe color theory as Soccer Mommy's rock album, because the grooves are stronger than her fantastic 2018 debut Clean. And there are strong rock elements. The lead track "bloodstream" clocks in at over five minutes and is expansive, building in intensity as Allison's voice floats through the song, like a balloon being pulled by an excited child. It would be an exaggeration to call the track prog-meets-dream-pop, but it also wouldn't be entirely off base.
The song "yellow is the color of her eyes" is even longer, clocking in at over seven minutes. It's led by a forward-mixed guitar that chugs along like a middle-aged businessman trying to finish a marathon. There are lots of interesting guitar textures and riffs, and in some ways, it evokes Guns N' Roses' "November Rain," as the playful track eventually transitions into something more regal.
But while color theory rocks, it does a lot of other things well. Allison's voice continues to amaze, hitting a sweet spot between 1990s ambivalence and contemporary over-emoting. The overall vibe of the record is of a strong storyteller sharing incredible tales in an animated fashion, while also maintaining the semblance of a narrative distance.
Even on personal songs, like "royal screw up," where Allison's character examines her own romantic choices with both insight and contempt: "Falling out of what I thought was love / Cause you are a question that I thought I could solve / But you don’t need solving you’re just not what I want." The song is performed not as a confession, but more of a realization. Very few artists can dig that deep without tumbling down into the hole they just created.
Second albums are notoriously challenging to make, but Soccer Mommy has created something every bit as good as Clean. This is largely because Allison hasn't changed too many things. The songs are still strong. The vocals are still captivating. The instrumentation still flutters in and out of focus, making it feel like you're intermittently dozing during a particularly dull meeting.
But she's added in more complex song structures in addition to heavier grooves. So she's essentially taken what worked well the first time and managed to only enhance the things that needed to be, while keeping everything else perfect.
Notable Tracks: "bloodstream" | “night swimming” | "royal screw up" | yellow is the color of her eyes”
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