Clean (Soccer Mommy album)

Last updated

Clean
Clean Soccer Mommy album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Soccer Mommy
ReleasedMarch 2, 2018 (2018-03-02)
Genre
Length34:38
Label Fat Possum
Producer Gabe Wax
Soccer Mommy chronology
Collection
(2017)		Clean
(2018)		 Color Theory
(2020)
Singles from Clean
  1. "Your Dog"
    Released: January 9, 2018
  2. "Cool"
    Released: January 29, 2018 [1]
  3. "Scorpio Rising"
    Released: July 16, 2018 [2]

Clean is the debut studio album by American indie rock singer-songwriter Soccer Mommy. It was released on March 2, 2018 [3] through Fat Possum Records.

Contents

The album's title is derived from the closing track of Taylor Swift's fifth studio album 1989 (2014). [4]

Clean is considered by some to be one of the best indie rock releases of the 2010s. [5]

Music and lyrics

Categorized as an indie pop album, Clean is also said to contain elements of grunge, power pop and pop-punk. [6] [7] [8] [9] The album has also been categorized under the bubblegrunge microgenre "due to its girlhood-diary-confessional nature." [10] The tracks are characterized as having a "sinuous, lived-in feel." [11] 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." [9] [12] The album's guitar work incorporates arpeggiated chord progressions and distortion. [6] 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." [13] [7] [14] [9] [15] [10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.6/10 [16]
Metacritic 78/100 [17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [18]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Exclaim! 8/10 [20]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [21]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [22]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [23]
Pitchfork 8.4/10 [24]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [25]
Uncut 7/10 [26]
Vice (Expert Witness)A− [27]

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". [17]

Thomas Smith of NME praised the album's production and Allison's lyrics, calling Clean "a dazzling and devastating triumph." [12] 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." [9] DIY Magazine 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." [28]

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." [29] [8] [15]

Accolades

Accolades for Clean
PublicationCountryAccoladeRank
Paste USThe 50 Best Albums of 2018 [30] 4
Pitchfork USThe 50 Best Albums of 2018 [31] 27
Rolling Stone USThe 50 Best Albums of 2018 [32] 16
Noisey USThe 100 Best Albums of 2018 [33] 45
Billboard US50 Best Albums of 2018: Critics' Picks [34] 40
Stereogum USThe 50 Best Albums of 2018 [35] 7
Uproxx USThe 50 Best Albums of 2018 [36] 14
The Ringer USThe Best Albums of 2018 [37] 3
The New York Times (Jon Caramanica list)USThe 28 Best Albums of 2018 [38] 1
The New York Times (Jon Pareles list)USThe 28 Best Albums of 2018 [38] 8
Nashville Scene USTop Local Albums Critics' Poll [39] 5
Newsweek USThe Best Albums 2018 [40] 7
The Seattle Times USThe 10 Best Pop Albums of 2018 [41] 8
Esquire USThe 20 Best Albums of 2018 [42] 12
The New Zealand Herald New ZealandTimeOut's Best of 2018: Top 20 albums [43] 13
Exclaim! CanadaTop 20 Pop & Rock Albums: Best of 2018 [44] 17
BrooklynVegan USTop 50 Albums of 2018 [45] 21
The Line of Best Fit UKThe Best Albums of 2018 [46] 30
NME UKAlbums of the Year 2018 [47] 39
The A.V. Club USThe Best Indie and Rock Albums of 2018 [48] N/A
Los Angeles Times USBest Albums of 2018 [49] N/A

Track listing

All tracks are written by Sophie Allison.

Clean track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Still Clean"4:01
2."Cool"3:16
3."Your Dog"3:14
4."Flaw"3:41
5."Blossom (Wasting All My Time)"3:12
6."Last Girl"3:35
7."Skin"4:01
8."Scorpio Rising"4:42
9."Interlude"1:38
10."Wildflowers"3:18
Total length:34:38

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the Clean liner notes. [50]

References

  1. ↑ Geffen, Sasha. "Tracks: Soccer Mommy - "Cool" - Jan 29, 2018". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  2. ↑ Gonzalez, Erica (July 16, 2018). ""Soccer Mommy's "Scorpio Rising" Video Turns Loneliness into Something Magical" - July 16, 2018". harpersbazaar.com. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Soccer Mommy - Clean - Official Store". Fat Possum Records . Archived from the original on May 3, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2024. Released: 03/02/2018
  4. ↑ Pelly, Jenn. "Soccer Mommy: Clean". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  5. ↑ "The 50 Best Indie Rock Albums of the 2010s". Paste Magazine. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Clean - Soccer Mommy | Album | AllMusic , retrieved January 16, 2025
  7. 1 2 Pelly, Jenn. "Soccer Mommy: Clean". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 16, 2025. She tells her stories of love and betrayal with a welcomed pop-punk brevity and kick. The melodrama of youth is rendered in sometimes uncomfortable detail—the seemingly innocuous memories that send you spiraling, like a particular way of brushing up against a person.
  8. 1 2 "Soccer Mommy: Clean". Paste Magazine. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Soccer Mommy │ Exclaim!". Soccer Mommy │ Exclaim!. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  10. 1 2 Boisvert, Lauren (December 30, 2024). "Do You Believe in Bubblegrunge? Here Are 3 Albums You Should Know". American Songwriter. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  11. ↑ Greene, Jayson. "Soccer Mommy: color theory". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Smith, Thomas (March 2, 2018). "Soccer Mommy - 'Clean' Review". NME. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Soccer Mommy breaks down her debut album, Clean, Track by Track: Stream". Consequence. March 2, 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Album reviews: Moby, The Breeders, Soccer Mommy and Camp Cope". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 30, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  15. 1 2 "Soccer Mommy's New LP Finds Her 'Stepping Out of the Bedroom' | PopMatters". Popmatters.com. March 6, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Clean by Soccer Mommy reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  17. 1 2 "Clean by Soccer Mommy Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  18. ↑ Donelson, Marcy. "Clean – Soccer Mommy". AllMusic . Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  19. ↑ Hunt, El (March 2, 2018). "Soccer Mommy – Clean". DIY . Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  20. ↑ Gee, Chris (February 26, 2018). "Soccer Mommy: Clean". Exclaim! . Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  21. ↑ Kaplan, Ilana (March 1, 2018). "Album reviews: Moby, The Breeders, Soccer Mommy and Camp Cope". The Independent . Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  22. ↑ Aston, Martin (April 2018). "Soccer Mommy: Clean". Mojo (293): 94.
  23. ↑ Smith, Thomas (March 2, 2018). "Soccer Mommy – 'Clean' Review". NME . Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  24. ↑ Pelly, Jenn (March 5, 2018). "Soccer Mommy: Clean". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 20, 2018.
  25. ↑ Davies, Hannah J. (April 2018). "Soccer Mommy: Clean". Q (383): 115.
  26. ↑ O'Connell, Sharon (April 2018). "Soccer Mommy: Clean". Uncut (251): 35.
  27. ↑ Christgau, Robert (January 5, 2019). "Robert Christgau Takes on Mitski's Disquieting Angst". Vice . Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Soccer Mommy - Clean". DIY. March 2, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  29. ↑ "Album reviews: Moby, The Breeders, Soccer Mommy and Camp Cope". Independent.co.uk .
  30. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Paste. November 26, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  31. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Pitchfork. December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  32. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Rolling Stone. December 13, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  33. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Noisey. December 4, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  34. ↑ "50 Best Albums of 2018: Critics' Picks". Billboard. December 10, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  35. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Stereogum. December 4, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  36. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Uproxx. December 3, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  37. ↑ Serrano, Shea (December 4, 2018). "The Best Albums of 2018". The Ringer. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  38. 1 2 Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon (December 6, 2018). "The 28 Best Albums of 2018". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  39. ↑ "Year in Music 2018: Top Local Albums Critics' Poll". Nashville Scene. December 13, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  40. ↑ PM, Zach Schonfeld On 12/6/18 at 3:54 (December 6, 2018). "The 11 best albums of 2018, from Pusha T to Prince". Newsweek. Retrieved January 2, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  41. ↑ "The 10 best pop albums of 2018 (plus 15 top songs) | Produced by Advertising Publications". The Seattle Times. December 20, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  42. ↑ Miller, Matt (December 19, 2018). "The Best Albums of 2018". Esquire. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  43. ↑ "TimeOut's Best of 2018: Top 20 albums". The New Zealand Herald . December 12, 2018. ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  44. ↑ "Exclaim!'s Top 20 Pop & Rock Albums, Part One Best of 2018". exclaim.ca. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  45. ↑ "BrooklynVegan's Top 50 Albums of 2018". BrooklynVegan. December 21, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  46. ↑ "The Best Albums of 2018". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  47. ↑ NME (December 17, 2018). "Best albums of the year 2018". NME. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  48. ↑ Club, The A. V. (December 17, 2018). "The best indie and rock albums of 2018". Music. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  49. ↑ Wood, Mikael (December 20, 2018). "Mikael Wood's best albums of 2018: Searching for glimmers in the sprawl". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  50. ↑ Clean (CD booklet). Soccer Mommy. Fat Possum Records. 2018.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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