Soccer Mommy shows she’s not “Your Dog” in kickass, self-assured single

Nashville-bred NYU student Sophie Allison has been releasing “chill but kinda sad” lo-fi tunes on Bandcamp for years now under the moniker Soccer Mommy. Less than a year after the release of her debut full length Collection, Soccer Mommy’s biting new track,”Your Dog,” not only anticipates the upcoming album, Clean — out on March 2nd via Fat Possum Records — but also hints at a more expansive, no-nonsense direction.

Remastering some tracks from earlier EPs, last year’s Collection flowed in the same kind of hopelessly heartsick blue vein of Soccer Mommy’s bedroom-recorded tracks, where Allison oft dreamt up stories of falling in love with perfect strangers and far-away crushes. All of which, I adore, as there’s nothing wrong with vulnerability and hopeless romanticism standing there right alongside the strength and independence of a badass lady.

Embracing the latter characteristics on the for young hearts EP-featured “bloody honey,” and Collection’s shining anthem, “Out Worn,” these songs glimpsed at someone who didn’t just sulk in sadness when wronged, but fought back with knock-out self-assuredness. With the release of “Your Dog,” though, we find that these tracks had offered just a teeny, tiny sliver of the kick-assery that Allison can dish out.

Eagerly spitting the perfectly blunt line, “I don’t wanna be your fucking dog that you drag around,” Allison wastes no time in reclaiming her self-worth. Steadily creeping along to a prominent, dark and thudding bass line, “Your Dog” trades out Allison’s signature dreamy atmosphere for a more nightmarish setting. This delightfully murderous mood is emboldened ten-fold with the pairing of the song’s disturbingly playful video, which shows a calm and/or ecstatic Allison dancing around and dragging along what appears to be her dead boyfriend — making it perfectly clear that she’s no one’s fucking pet.

Don’t miss Soccer Mommy open for Phoebe Bridgers at World Cafe Live on February 21st for an impeccably moody bill. Find info and tickets on the gig over at the XPN Concert Calendar. Watch the video for “Your Dog” below.