8/10

Having spent her infancy among the swell of DIY / Bandcamp outfits that are constantly pushing out home recordings and demo work all over the internet, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Sophie Allison aka Soccer Mommy has become one of the very few to break away from the humdrum of lo-fi noise to release her first official studio album 'Clean', a record that beams with enormous potential right from the start.

Taking her cues from similar artists like Courtney Barnett and Dream Wife, Allison manages to rekindle that magical spark that can exist between singer and listener. She knows that her music has this warming intimacy about it, and therefore aims to strip back as much production as possible, leaving more room for us to absorb exactly what she is singing about and allow the emotions in her voice speak for themselves throughout.

While it is isn't one of those albums that likes to shout about itself too much, 'Clean' still manages to pack a serious punch to the soul at times. It may only be her first official LP but it plays with the experience of someone that has been doing this for years, making for a throughly enjoyable listen.