By Sean Fortier

Soccer Mommy live is a wonderful experiment in contrast. Singer/songwriter Sophie Allison has since her first Bandcamp recordings in 2015 been a purveyor of vulnerability- beauty, and power through honesty. That line holds in the recent release ‘Color Theory’ even with a revved-up band. She’s able to weave haunting nostalgia throughout her body of songs, with a deft craft that belies her 24 years-though even mentioning her age seems unimportant when confronted with Soccer Mommy.

The songs new and old feel timeless, and the band slips in and out of wink and nod anachronism (the stacks of color-changing 90’s vintage television sets) and avant-garde musicianship. As a whole, they seem as comfortable hitting the sparsest of melodies to bold and underline Allison’s striking lyricism as they are letting loose in a synchronized explosion of raucous energy. That’s the thing, this band can rock out and it makes the quiet moments so much more meaningful.

Towards the end of the night, Allison released her band and stripped down to a solo acoustic set covering “Dagger” by Slowdive, then brought her band back and ended the evening with an encore performance of “Scorpio Rising.” It’s that push and pull that keeps one so engaged with a Soccer Mommy performance. A CRASH-BANG then silence… Then the lilting, beautiful voice of Allison telling you truths about herself and yourself and the world. She crystallizes her emotion and puts it on display as a reflective mirror, letting us join her in catharsis. The jagged guitars are the reveille, the anthemic rhythm is the driving heartbeat, but it’s in the lyrics of Soccer Mommy that you truly find the spirit of the band. And last Thursday at the Fonda thanks to a willing crowd and a seasoned band, that spirit was on fine display.

SOCCER MOMMY

All photos by Nikki Neumann

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