Sometimes, Forever is the third studio album by American indie rock singer-songwriter Soccer Mommy. Released under Loma Vista Recordings on June 24, 2022, it is her first album produced by Daniel Lopatin.

Sometimes, Forever
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 24, 2022 (2022-06-24)
StudioSound Emporium (Nashville, Tennessee)
GenreIndie rock
Length42:35
LabelLoma Vista
ProducerDaniel Lopatin
Soccer Mommy chronology
Color Theory
(2020)
Sometimes, Forever
(2022)
Evergreen
(2024)
Singles from Soccer Mommy
  1. "Shotgun"
    Released: March 23, 2022
  2. "Unholy Affliction"
    Released: April 20, 2022
  3. "Bones"
    Released: May 18, 2022
  4. "Newdemo"
    Released: June 9, 2022

Background and recording

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Sometimes, Forever has been described by critics as "production focused".[1] Sophie Allison began working with Daniel Lopatin (known by his stage name Oneohtrix Point Never) on her third studio album in late 2020,[2] a few months after the release of her second album Color Theory.

The album was recorded at Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.[3]

Release and promotion

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Allison announced Sometimes, Forever on March 23, 2022, releasing the album's lead single "Shotgun" simultaneously. Allison proceeded to release three more singles — "Unholy Affliction", "Bones" and "Newdemo" in the lead-up to the album's release. In the run-up to the Sometimes, Forever's release, Allison sat down for interviews with outlets including Pitchfork[2] and Rolling Stone.[4] She also performed live on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show.[5]

Musical style

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Sometimes, Forever has been described as "darker" and "more personal" than Soccer Mommy's previous album.[6] While retaining Allison's tradition of confessional lyricism, Sometimes, Forever, sees the singer-songwriter exploring new sonic landscapes, such as shoegaze[7] and industrial noise.[8]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic84/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [10]
Clash8/10[11]
DIY     [12]
The Guardian     [13]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[14]
NME     [15]
Pitchfork8.0/10[16]
Slant Magazine     [17]
Telegraph     [18]
Paste Magazine8.5/10[19]

Sometimes, Forever has a score of 84/100 on Metacritic based on 20 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim"; the highest score for any Soccer Mommy album to date.

Albumism critic Jeremy Levine gave the album a perfect score, saying that "it cements Soccer Mommy as one of the most exciting voices in indie pop."[20] Paste's Eric Bennett described it as Soccer Mommy's "most creative work to date",[21] while The Line of Best Fit critic Tom Williams described Sometimes, Forever as "an astounding artistic accomplishment that deserves to propel Allison to the very highest ranks of the indie world."[14] A minority of critics, however, offered more mixed reviews, with Slant Magazine's Thomas Bedenbaugh describing the album as "an ambitious but unmemorable experiment", lacking the "indelible" "lyrical themes and melodies" of her previous work.[22] Writing for PopMatters, John Amen gave the album 7/10 and remarked, "Absent an infectious melody and accompaniment that establishes rhythmic and/or ambient contrast, her voice tends to grow monotonous and disengaging. But when the aesthetic balances are in place, as they are for much of Sometimes, Forever, then Allison glows like a moon reflecting a dying sun, one of the substantial artists of her generation."[23]

Year-end Lists
Publication List Rank Ref.
Albumism The 100 Best Albums of 2022 26 [24]
Associated Press AP's Top Albums 2022 N/A [25]
A.V. Club The 30 best albums of 2022 24 [26]
Far Out The 50 best albums of 2022 41 [27]
Flood Magazine Flood's Best Albums of 2022 21 [28]
The Forty-Five Albums of the year 2022 37 [29]
Impose The Top 50 Albums of 2022 N/A [30]
Magnet Magnet's Top 25 Albums of 2022 4 [31]
The New York Times Best Albums of 2022 N/A [32]
No Ripcord The 50 Best Albums of 2022 31 [33]
Northern Transmissions Best Albums of 2022 15
ourculture The 50 Best Albums of 2022 34 [34]
Paste Magazine The 50 Best Albums of 2022 16 [35]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2022 45 [36]
Pitchfork The 38 Best Rock Albums of 2022 N/A [37]
Rolling Stone The 100 Best Albums of 2022 42 [38]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2022 4 [39]
Under The Radar Best Albums of 2022 23 [40]
Uproxx The Best Albums of 2022 N/A [41]
Vulture The Best Albums of 2022 Honorable Mention [42]

Track listing

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All tracks were written by Sophie Allison and produced by Daniel Lopatin.

Sometimes, Forever track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Bones"4:05
2."With U"4:06
3."Unholy Affliction"3:06
4."Shotgun"4:10
5."Newdemo"3:29
6."Darkness Forever"4:15
7."Don't Ask Me"4:28
8."Fire in the Driveway"3:37
9."Following Eyes"3:59
10."Feel It All the Time"3:15
11."Still"3:59
Total length:42:35

Charts

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Chart performance for Sometimes, Forever
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[43] 32
Australian Hitseekers Albums (ARIA)[43] 7
Scottish Albums (OCC)[44] 14
UK Albums (OCC)[45] 95
US Billboard 200[46] 137

References

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  1. ^ Weinstein, Leah (August 1, 2024). "Soccer Mommy Announces New Album Evergreen". Paste. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Soccer Mommy Slays Her Demons". Pitchfork. April 5, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  3. ^ Inside Soccer Mommy's widescreen world, 2022, retrieved 20 September 2023
  4. ^ "How a Pickup Truck and a Little Magic Helped Soccer Mommy Make Her Best Album Yet". Rolling Stone. June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  5. ^ "Soccer Mommy: Shotgun". YouTube. April 26, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  6. ^ "Driving Into Darkness: Soccer Mommy's 'Sometimes, Forever' Ushers In A Fantastical New Era | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
  7. ^ "The Kaleidoscopic Allure of Soccer Mommy". Consequence of Sound. 22 June 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  8. ^ "Soccer Mommy Shares Unnerving New Single "Unholy Affliction"". Exclaim!. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  9. ^ "Sometimes, Forever by Soccer Mommy Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  10. ^ "Sometimes, Forever - Soccer Mommy". AllMusic. June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  11. ^ "Sometimes, Forever - Soccer Mommy". Clash. June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  12. ^ "Sometimes, Forever - Soccer Mommy". DIY. June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  13. ^ "Soccer Mommy: Sometimes, Forever review – warm, toothsome pop with icy blasts of angst". The Guardian. June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Soccer Mommy strives for salvation on the astounding Sometimes, Forever". The Line of Best Fit. June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  15. ^ "Soccer Mommy – 'Sometimes, Forever' review: nuanced and purposeful songwriting". NME. June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  16. ^ "Soccer Mommy – Sometimes, Forever". Pitchfork. June 24, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  17. ^ "Soccer Mommy Sometimes, Forever Review: An Ambitious but Unmemorable Experiment". Slant. June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  18. ^ "Regina Spektor finds God, and MUNA channel a Year Six disco – the week's best albums". The Telegraph. June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  19. ^ "On Sometimes, Forever, Soccer Mommy Excel Outside Their Comfort Zone". Paste. June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  20. ^ "Soccer Mommy's 'Sometimes, Forever' is a Revelatory Journey in Sound". Albumism. June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  21. ^ "On Sometimes, Forever, Soccer Mommy Excel Outside Their Comfort Zone". Paste. June 22, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  22. ^ "Soccer Mommy Sometimes, Forever Review: An Ambitious but Unmemorable Experiment". Slant. June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  23. ^ "Soccer Mommy: Sometimes, Forever (Album Review)". PopMatters. 2022-06-22. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  24. ^ "ALBUMISM SELECTS: The 100 Best Albums of 2022". Albumism. 4 December 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  25. ^ "AP's top albums 2022: 'Renaissance,' 'Motomami,' Bad Bunny". AP NEWS. 2022-12-13. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  26. ^ "Here are the 30 best albums of 2022". The A.V. Club. 2022-12-12. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  27. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2022". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 2022-12-11. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  28. ^ "The Best Albums of 2022". FLOOD. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  29. ^ Gunn, Charlotte (2022-12-01). "Albums of the year 2022". The Forty-Five. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  30. ^ "The Top 50 Albums of 2022 – Impose Magazine". Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  31. ^ Staff, MAGNET (2022-12-13). "MAGNET's Top 25 Albums Of 2022". Magnet Magazine. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  32. ^ Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon; Zoladz, Lindsay (2022-11-30). "Best Albums of 2022". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  33. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". No Ripcord. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
  34. ^ Culture, Our (2022-12-07). "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". Our Culture. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  35. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". pastemagazine.com. 2022-11-21. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  36. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". Pitchfork. 2022-12-06. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  37. ^ "The 38 Best Rock Albums of 2022". Pitchfork. 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
  38. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2022". Rolling Stone. 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  39. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2022". Stereogum. 2022-12-06. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  40. ^ "Under The Radar's Best Albums of 2022". Album of The Year. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
  41. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2022". UPROXX. 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  42. ^ Jenkins, Craig (2022-12-07). "The Best Albums of 2022". Vulture. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  43. ^ a b "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 4 July 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1687. Australian Recording Industry Association. July 4, 2022. pp. 10, 24.
  44. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  45. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  46. ^ @billboardcharts (July 5, 2022). "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200 (2/2)..." (Tweet). Retrieved July 6, 2022 – via Twitter.
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