release date: Mar. 2, 2018
format: digital (10 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Gabe Wax
label: Fat Possum / bandcamp - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Still Clean" (acoustic live) - 2. "Cool" - 3. "Your Dog" (4 / 5) - 4. "Flaw" (live) - 6. "Last Girl" - 7. "Skin" - 8. "Scorpio Rising" - 10. "Wildflowers"
Studio album debut by Soccer Mommy aka Sophia Regina Allison who has written and composed all tracks on her first full-length after releasing material on cassette and CDr's only, and after gaining widespread recognition via her bandcamp-profile. Her ep debut For Young Hearts came out in 2016 and it was followed by Collection in 2017 - both of which seems to consist of songs from single issues and compositions made over a longer time-span and basically should be considered compilations, I guess.
Allison was born in Switzerland and moved to the US with her American parents as relatively young settling in Nashville, Tennessee, and her musical influences is said to comprise Natalia Imbruglia, Slowdive, Taylor Swift, and Avril Lavigne, which does make much sense when listening to Clean, although, I think there's an edgier side to Allison's compositions here that could point in the direction of Alanis Morrissette and / or other artists from the 90s college rock scene and then also echoing the spirit of Swedish The Radio Dept. and early Kent.
Admittedly, I have only caught up with this one after being introduced to her second album, the acclaimed Color Theory (Feb. 2020), which figures on many critics' year-end lists but to me didn't quite live up to the hype but it had me check this one out, and imo, Clean is a more refreshing album and it doesn't leave me with the same impression of tending towards being slightly overproduced. I find it a more satisfying experience listening to this her scraped down debut where the balance of uptempo / slow-burning melancholy and an ever-presence of lo-fi home-recording sensation is intact and that sound plays a vital part in producing something grounded, and say more genuine.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com, NME, Independent 4 / 5, Pitchfork 8,4 / 10, Uncut 3,5 / 5, 👎Mojo, Q Magazine 3 / 5 stars ]
