Fat Possum US Vinyl & CDs

Review: When Soccer Mommy dropped 2022's Sometimes Forever, we made the rather painful dad joke that the third album represented a hat trick for the band with a football-influenced name. Let's start by offering another apology to you and the group for the cheap penmanship, and move on. Now presenting LP number four, let's avoid the temptation to us words like 'haul' (or, considering these guys are US-based, 'hambone'... oops) and cut straight to the chase. Or at least the tunes.

Another year, another great collection of alternative rock stunners that are at once spiky yet easy going, disaffected but hopeful, sparse but musically packed. 'Blossom', for example, pits the ever-incredible voice of Sophie Allison with gliding, mournful strings, and a background quiet so powerful you can hear fingers sliding down the guitar neck. Next in line, 'Last Girl' ushers in an uptempo, bouncing rock 'n' roll vibe, before 'Skin' looks to shoegaze for at least some of its inspiration. Excellent stuff, we could go on.