Music and lyrics
Categorized as an indie pop album, Clean is also said to contain elements of grunge, power pop and pop-punk. [7] [8] [9] [10] The album has also been categorized under the bubblegrunge microgenre "due to its girlhood-diary-confessional nature." [11] The tracks are characterized as having a "sinuous, lived-in feel." [12] The album alternates between "cheeky," uptempo tracks and softer tracks that "blossom into fluttering, luscious finales." The album's closing track "Wildflowers" has been called "hypnotizing." [10] [13] The album's guitar work incorporates arpeggiated chord progressions and distortion. [7] The album's lyrical content is said to be more mature than those on Collection . Characterized as a "melancholy interspersed with anger," the album's lyrics explore themes such as infatuation, betrayal, acceptance, insecurity, emotional validation, power dynamics, dating, and idealization/devaluation. Jenn Pelly of Pitchfork said, "This soft music is not precious. It’s gnarly and intense, like the heart itself." [14] [8] [15] [10] [16] [11]
Critical reception
At Metacritic , which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from music critics, Clean received an average score of 78, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [18]
Thomas Smith of NME praised the album's production and Allison's lyrics, calling Clean "a dazzling and devastating triumph." [13] Chris Gee of Exclaim! wrote, "Allison is promptly hitting her stride and clearly gaining confidence and showing it with strands of snarkiness and angst mixed within her delicate, vulnerable songs." [10] DIY wrote, "In typical Soccer Mommy fashion, there’s little flashy footwork to be found here; only expertly-shaped understated songs that give more with every listen. Stepping beyond the groundwork of her debut collection, and sounding all the more confident for it, Sophie Allison shoots, and she scores." [29]
Critics made note of the heightened sense of maturity present in the album's lyrics compared to those on Collection. Paste wrote, "Allison is young, her slight 20 years evident not only in her youthful voice, but her talk of missed calls from mom, parked cars, and hanging around after school. But Allison does it all in an honest, uncomplicated, and well-crafted way that Clean is anything but juvenile." The Independent wrote, "Clean isn’t just about the teenage experience; [it] encapsulates emotions and situations that are as versatile as her sound. Whether you’re reminiscing about late-night make out sessions in high school or surrounded by plenty of “cool” girls in your city, Soccer Mommy’s introspection is something that defies age." [30] [9] [16]
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