While attending my high school, Nashville School of the Arts, alum Sophia Regina Allison, more known by the name Soccer Mommy, was consistently mentioned in conversation. After I found out she was her class valedictorian, and — in typical Nashville fashion — had decided to play a song instead of deliver a speech, I knew I had to check Soccer Mommy out. I first listened to her 2018 album “Clean,” which was released shortly after she began a leave of absence from NYU to pursue her music career. I then started to run into her around Nashville. From seeing her at local music venues to catching her browsing at the bookstore, I began to listen to her music with better insight into her songwriting inspirations.

Soccer Mommy’s fourth album, “Evergreen,” takes a slight turn from her previous work, not only showcasing her matured voice and writing style but her changing adult life as well. Soccer Mommy still sprinkles in her signature, shimmery electric guitar, but “Evergreen” creates a grounded listening experience. She takes listeners on an 11-song journey through the natural emotions of grief, presumed to be about the loss of her mother. Her lyrics are raw, conveying the helpless feeling of only having memories to remember the people and things that matter most. Soccer Mommy’s past discography never failed to include emotional intensity, but their presentation in “Evergreen” derives from the challenges she faces in her adult life. Though deeply emotional, the album allows for variety, catering to listeners whether they want to blast music while driving or cuddle up in bed.

On the opening track, “Lost,” Soccer Mommy proves she has mastered her beautifully gloomy sound, but on this record, in a more acoustic-driven manner. “Oh, what a nerve / Asking for more and more of her / She’d give until there’s nothing left / If I wanted it” highlights the feeling of regret after suffering the loss of a loved one. She later sings, “Lost in a way that never ends / If I had another chance, I’d give her this.” Soccer Mommy shows how one can never be prepared for losing someone, and the wish for another chance is inevitable. She’s no stranger to writing songs about loss and maturing through adolescence, but this album proves Soccer Mommy has a stronger grasp on who she is while dealing with new challenges revolving around grief.

However, Soccer Mommy also provides standout tunes to rock out to across the tracklist. Originally released as a single, “Driver” is a fun song that was likely thought of while driving around Nashville, where Soccer Mommy does her best reflection. Though one of the more spirited tunes on the album, it still holds space for flute and acoustic sounds in the chorus when she sings, “I’ll be the driver if you choose / No promises to stay on route / He’d never leave me now.” Although holding a heavier sound, the theme of this tune is merrier than the rest of the album, as Soccer Mommy revealed it is a love song about when someone accepts your flaws. 

The album’s biggest standout is “Anchor,” a gnarly, electronic track more experimental than anything she has written in the past. Both her eerie vocals and the help of bell sounds paint a haunting atmosphere. A broken-sounding rhythm paired with the thick bassline gives the song a drive, creating a sense of urgency. The sullen lyrics “There’s no turning back / Now I long for something that could stop me in my tracks / An anchor to cast” paint the frantic feeling of moving while wanting to stop. Undoubtedly its most mysterious track, it still matches the record’s overall darkness.

Soccer Mommy crafted the record to come full circle on with the concluding title track “Evergreen,” which ends on the same premise of this new loss. Her acoustic guitar conveys a sense of intimacy, so much that you can hear the sounds of her fingers sliding across the guitar strings alongside atmospheric violin sounds. She sings, “She cannot fade, she is so evergreen,” implying that her memories of this person will remain as each year passes. Choosing to open and close the record with this reflective message illustrates that dealing with grief is not linear, as emotions can reassert themselves.

The melancholic record demonstrates Soccer Mommy’s mastery of her songwriting style and even experimentation of new ones. As disconsolate as “Evergreen” may be, the record provides bits and pieces of hope. Soccer Mommy assures that when we lose someone or something we love, memories are all there are to hold on to, but they will be everlasting.

Contact Caia Cupolo at [email protected].