Clean is the debut studio album by American indie rock singer-songwriter Sophie Allison, known under the moniker Soccer Mommy. It was released on March 2, 2018 through Fat Possum Records.

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

Music and lyrics Categorized as an indie pop album, Clean is also said to contain elements of grunge, power pop and pop-punk. The album has also been categorized under the bubblegrunge microgenre "due to its girlhood-diary-confessional nature." The tracks are characterized as having a "sinuous, lived-in feel." 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." The album's guitar work incorporates arpeggiated chord progressions and distortion.

According to the fashion magazine Paper, Clean is a "breakup album". 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." The album's lyrical content is said to be more mature than those on its predecessor, Collection.

Songwriter Sophie Allison told The Fader that the album was ultimately "a realization that you can’t deny your emotions. It’s in the stars."

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".

Thomas Smith of NME praised the album's production and Allison's lyrics, calling Clean "a dazzling and devastating triumph." 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." 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."

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."

Accolades +Accolades for Clean Publication Country Accolade Rank Paste US The 50 Best Albums of 2018 4 Pitchfork US The 50 Best Albums of 2018 27 Rolling Stone US The 50 Best Albums of 2018 16 Noisey US The 100 Best Albums of 2018 45 Billboard US 50 Best Albums of 2018: Critics' Picks 40 Stereogum US The 50 Best Albums of 2018 7 Uproxx US The 50 Best Albums of 2018 14The RingerUSThe Best Albums of 2018 3The New York Times (Jon Caramanica list)USThe 28 Best Albums of 2018 1The New York Times (Jon Pareles list)USThe 28 Best Albums of 2018 8Nashville SceneUSTop Local Albums Critics' Poll 5NewsweekUSThe Best Albums 2018 7The Seattle TimesUSThe 10 Best Pop Albums of 2018 8EsquireUSThe 20 Best Albums of 2018 12The New Zealand HeraldNew ZealandTimeOut's Best of 2018: Top 20 albums 13Exclaim!CanadaTop 20 Pop & Rock Albums: Best of 2018 17BrooklynVeganUSTop 50 Albums of 2018 21The Line of Best FitUKThe Best Albums of 2018 30NMEUKAlbums of the Year 2018 39The A.V. ClubUSThe Best Indie and Rock Albums of 2018 N/ALos Angeles TimesUSBest Albums of 2018 N/A

Track listing

Personnel Credits are adapted from the Clean liner notes.

Sophie Allison – guitar; vocals; bass Julian Powell – lead guitar Nick Brown – drums Gabe Wax – piano; synthesizer; mellotron; bass; guitar; drum programming; percussion Roger Kleinman – piano; synth Ali Chant – mixing Sami Alam – front cover photo

References

External links Clean at Bandcamp