| Color Theory | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 28, 2020 | |||
| Studio | Alex the Great Recording (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 44:08 | |||
| Label | Loma Vista | |||
| Producer | Gabe Wax | |||
| Soccer Mommy chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Color Theory | ||||
| ||||
Color Theory (stylized in all lowercase) is the second studio album by American indie rock singer-songwriter Soccer Mommy, released on February 28, 2020, by Loma Vista Recordings. [1] [2]
Sophie Allison used floppy disk samples, drum machines, and sound effects on the album. [3]
The album is divided into three parts, each named after a color. Allison has said the albums distinct sections "represent the problems that I’ve developed as I’ve grown up, and how they’ve changed me". [4]
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2020) |
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10 [5] |
| Metacritic | 81/100 [6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Exclaim! | 9/10 [8] |
| The Guardian | [9] |
| The Independent | [10] |
| Mojo | [11] |
| NME | [12] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10 [13] |
| Q | [14] |
| Rolling Stone | [15] |
| The Times | [16] |
Color Theory was met with critical acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 81, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 22 reviews. [6]
Jayson Greene of Pitchfork wrote, "the second album from singer-songwriter Sophie Allison is piercing and unpredictable. In contrast to its bigger and brighter sound, the mood is grimmer, the emotional truths darker." [17] Michael Hann of The Guardian wrote "Sophie Allison’s second album deals with ill-health and despair, but you would hardly know it from the fantastic arrangements and tunes." [18] Hannah Mylrea of NME said the album is "as beautiful as it is brave". [19]
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exclaim! | Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 41 | |
| Gigwise | The Gigwise 51 Best Albums of 2020 | 16 | |
| The Guardian | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 48 | |
| Paste | Paste's 25 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year | 8 | |
| The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 7 | ||
| Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 26 | |
| Rolling Stone | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 37 | |
| Spin | Spin's 30 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year | — | |
| Stereogum | Stereogum's 50 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year | 6 | |
| The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 10 | ||
| Under the Radar | Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2020 | 10 |
All tracks are written by Sophie Allison
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bloodstream" | 5:37 |
| 2. | "Circle the Drain" | 4:40 |
| 3. | "Royal Screw Up" | 4:07 |
| 4. | "Night Swimming" | 4:16 |
| 5. | "Crawling in My Skin" | 4:17 |
| 6. | "Yellow Is the Color of Her Eyes" | 7:15 |
| 7. | "Up the Walls" | 2:44 |
| 8. | "Lucy" | 4:56 |
| 9. | "Stain" | 3:00 |
| 10. | "Gray Light" | 3:16 |
| Total length: | 44:08 | |
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. [31]
Musicians
Production and artwork
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [32] | 52 |
| US Billboard 200 [33] | 142 |
| US Top Alternative Albums ( Billboard ) [34] | 7 |
| US Top Rock Albums ( Billboard ) [35] | 22 |
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