Evergreen

The buoyant Abigail and the jangly dream-pop of Some Sunny Day lend the album some welcome lightness in the face of the melancholy that we all have to endure at times. [Dec 2024, p.108]

Soccer Mommy displays her songcraft through an intimate approach that should appeal to fans of her formidable contemporaries and may also attract those less familiar with Allison’s gentler side.

Evergreen is a reminder of what an effective, emotive songwriter she can be.

There’s a new level of sophistication here, befitting the fact that the one-time teenage home-recorder is now 27 and this is her fourth album. [Dec 2024, p.85]

With Evergreen, Allison’s songwriting skills and vocals are placed squarely on center stage. The sequence may not be as sonically layered as previous work; however, Allison’s melodies are as captivating as ever.

She presents another batch of intimately detailed songs – from the anxious ballad “Dreaming Of Falling” to the exultant rocker “Driver” – in sturdy, string-accented settings that seem wholly unified with her intentions. [Nov 2024, p.43]

Here the songs begin with her spare yet painterly Liz Phair strumming and build into Pet Sounds-like micro epics. The very moving results brings to mind find-the-river classics like REM's Automatic For the People. This is music that isn’t about moving beyond grief, but living in it as truthfully as anyone can expect from one human being.

With a rich string chorus that runs through the final track and the songs preceding it, Soccer Mommy has created a dream-filled escape that always falls back to the present.

Much like grief, ‘Evergreen’ has its highs and lows, but ultimately, it makes you feel less alone and like you’re going to be OK.

Sophie Allison is no stranger to working in the freedom that driving makes her feel, the excellent “Feel It All The Time” was written for her truck. Nestled between songs like “M” and “Some Sunny Day” that underscore such emotional turbulence in her life, it’s nice to have a reminder that some things remain rock solid.

Each time out, Allison has worked with different producers (here Ben H. Allen III) to bring something new to the table. On Evergreen, Allison made a point to step back and reflect, with the heartfelt effort shining through.

Evergreen is pristine and light, as indebted to Soccer Mommy’s early sound as it is to the restorative effects of nature.

Although the songs here are solid enough and likely to sate fans, the overall effect is a soundscape that's somewhere in the in-between, suiting the limbo of Evergreen's ruminations but not warranting superlatives within Soccer Mommy's growing catalog.