Album Review: Soccer Mommy - 'Evergreen'
Raw, honest, and hopeful, even in its darker moments.
“Now stuck in the downpour / It feels like all there is, no end coming / But I know / Some sunny day babe” sings the singer-songwriter from Nashville, Sophie Allison, a.k.a. Soccer Mommy in the hopeful “Some Sunny Day” from her fourth studio album, Evergreen. After making music for years, every Soccer Mommy release has felt fully intentional and singular, from her 2018 mellow debut, Clean, to her 2020 exploration on nostalgia, Color Theory, to the 2022 experimental rock Sometimes, Forever. Her latest, Evergreen, is her returning to her roots to deliver her most vulnerable record yet.
Teaming up with producer Ben H. Allen III for the first time, they retained the rawness of her original demos. Acoustic guitars, solid drumming, and sparse strings form a rich yet unpretentious backdrop that lets her lyrics shine. This record is meditative, personal and sad. Allison is not forcing herself to be hopeful, this is rather natural. The lyrics are honest, embracing the act of grieving throughout an 11 track dream pop-rock sonic journey. She explores themes of grief and introspection, often with a touch of humor, delivered through a familiar acoustic-driven sound. The songs are straight forward, forming a cohesive project that feels like a homecoming, even though the path leading back has been shaped by a tragic loss.
Alison has never shy away from talking about the intricacies of mental health and loss, and this is evident throughout the record. The opening track, "Lost," sets the tone reflecting on the confusion that follows loss, “I’ve got her name, I’ve got her face and all these things, but I don’t know what’s in her dreams. It’s lost to me,” she sings, laying bare a quiet yet powerful emotional truth. This is Soccer Mommy at her most direct, with lyrics that are not afraid to hold back and cut deep. “M” takes a more meditative approach. “I miss you like a loyal dog, waiting by the door to hear the lock turn,” is a visually heartbreaking line. The song embraces the sadness that comes with tragedy, and how grief doesn’t follow a linear line, it’s a personal and confusing journey that can bring both sadness and peace to a person. This is followed by “Driver”, the most upbeat and rock based track on the record. In this one, Allison mixes humor with self-reflection. With its crunchy guitar riffs and more upbeat melody, the song pokes fun at personal flaws while still offering a meaningful approach on love and self-awareness.
The record also reminds us that even in the darkest times, there’s always light somewhere, and that does not mean forgetting, but embracing these dark patches. This idea carries through to tracks like “Some Sunny Day” and “Changes” and “Thinking Of You”, which grapple with hope and the inevitable fading of memories. “How long is too long to be stuck in a memory?” Allison asks, a sentiment that echoes throughout the record. The song’s gentle guitar strumming paired with Allison’s dreamy vocals create a moment of quiet reflection.
“I don’t wanna think about the way I loved you so I wanna be whole / Floating on an icy sea I thought of something warm I thought of your love” Allison sings in the track “Anchor”, reminiscent of the Oneohtrix Point Never produced Sometimes, Forever, leaning into more experimental territory. While in the rest of the tracks it seems like Allison has stripped away any excess, this one feels more noisy and cathartic but still maintaining the essence of what makes her music so captivating, the stories, contradictions and honesty.
The album’s emotional climax comes with the title track, “Evergreen.” Here, Allison reflects on the years without her mom, and the enduring presence of someone who is gone but never truly disappears. “She cannot fade, she is so evergreen,” she sings, surrounded by swelling strings. It’s a beautiful reminder that even in loss, some things remain forever.
Evergreen captures Soccer Mommy at her most vulnerable, navigating loss not as a singular event but as a process that flows with time. Allison’s ability to translate these experiences and make them resonate is impressive. This is more than just an album about loss, it’s about learning to stand again in a changed world. Ultimately it feels like a return to form for Allison, back to the simplicity that made Soccer Mommy so beloved, but now with more experience. It’s raw, honest, and hopeful, even in its darker moments.
Words by Marcos Sanoja
