Concord Vinyl & CDs

Review: It's hard to pin-point what's done it - but it appears that 2024 has been a big year for Americana and its influence on mainstream indie rock with the likes of Wednesday, MJ Lenderman and Mitski among those to explore its characteristics. Soccer Mommy burst onto the scene nearly ten years ago with an indie and grunge-inspired look and sound, but with this fourth album, she is embracing more organic instrumentation and putting the spotlight on her voice and songwriting. It's a bold but brilliant move that proves spending time living in Nashville is bearing fruits. And her voice - reminiscent of her contemporaries Phoebe Bridgers and Snail Mail - is suited to the moments of cleaner backing instrumentals. That said, the rock DNA still stands tall, as evidenced by the grunge-tinged single 'Driver', so it's more of an alteration than a sea change. The song structures themselves are also something to be proud of. For instance, the key change on 'Abigail' is a Beatles-esque beauty. With Soccer Mommy crafting songs this good, it's likely that she'll be around for decades to come and album number four is still the early years.