Soccer Mommy/Photo: Soccer Mommy
For the past decade, Soccer Mommy has gone through cycles of rebirth, told through an atmospheric web of vocals, suspended guitars and back-to-reality beats. Led by singer Sophie Allison, the band performs in Chicago at Thalia Hall as part of their “Evergreen” tour, on February 6, which sold out quickly; a second show was added on February 7, which is also sold out. Soccer Mommy emerged from Allison’s NYU dorm room as an up-and-coming bedroom-pop sensation in the late 2010s, joining the likes of girl in red, Clairo and mxmtoon. She has since solidified as an indie-pop staple with a run of higher-production-value albums that don’t forget her raw honesty. As Allison sings, expect Soccer Mommy to wrap the crowd in layers of seductive melancholic fog with lyrics and chords that beg to return home.
Yearning is rife throughout Soccer Mommy’s discography. Her moniker evokes a middle-class suburban Americana of Subarus, orange slices and safety that Allison attempts to recover in songs on “Evergreen” like “Some Sunny Day” with lyrics “But I know some sunny day, babe/I’ll see your face/Painted in a summertime that won’t fade.” Maturity dawns as she acknowledges this mythical homecoming is impossible, which she parades on “Abigail,” a love letter to her fictional wife in Stardew Valley. Born in Switzerland, and raised in Nashville, where she still resides, the singer-songwriter is seemingly comfortable existing in nostalgia, reverting back to a more minimal and softer production style after collaborating with Daniel Lopatin of Oneohtrix Point Never for her 2022 album “Sometimes, Forever.” Amidst it all, the lyricism shines like a lighthouse that calls out to soothe anxious shoegazers over rolling leads and complementary melodies.
With her signature winged eyeliner and shoulder-length bob parted on the side in millennial fashion, she plays the guitar and intimately sings, wearing cozy fitted clothes. Even while performing to a packed house, having finally reached “cool alt girl” status, she opens up about her fears of never being enough, consistently desiring more, if you’ll have her. In “Shotgun,” “Cool” and, most recently, “Driver,” she opens up about her personal struggles and grapples with her own perception of desirability. At the same time, the accompaniment helps hold the audience tight, letting the crowd sway as they introspect to feel-good indie. Only “Anchor” on the new album breaks from her tried-and-true method with more dissonance to convey pure angst as she tries to speak to a younger generation, as a cusp Gen Z, this time as an adult. The rest is evergreen.
Soccer Mommy plays two sold-out shows February 6-7 at Thalia Hall, 1807 South Allport. Doors at 7pm; show at 8pm. Advanced tickets are sold out; limited tickets will be available at the door. For more information, please visit thaliahallchicago.com.
