Sometimes, Forever is the third studio album by American indie rock singer-songwriter Sophie Allison, known under the moniker Soccer Mommy. Released on Loma Vista Recordings on June 24, 2022, the album was produced by Daniel Lopatin.

Background and recording Allison began writing material for the album in the summer of 2019. The closing track "Still" was the first track that was written. The sludge metal-inspired track "Darkness Forever" was written immediately afterward.

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

The album was recorded at Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. The album's recording was completed in 2021.

Release and promotion 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 and Rolling Stone. She also performed live on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Music and lyrics Sometimes, Forever, incorporates elements of genres such as such as shoegaze and industrial noise. The album employs the "wall-of-sound" production technique. American entertainment trade magazine Variety described the album's production and music as "maximalist". NPR stated that the album's sound was "far removed, in other words, from the lo-fi bedroom recording of Soccer Mommy's DIY origins." According to producer Daniel Lopatin: "Sophie finds magical ways to complicate her bubblegum melodies with a subtle weirdness: a twisted chord, a bent texture, some dark comedy. It’s addictive to listen to all that sweet and sour stuff she has going on, so I just tried to amplify that."

Sometimes, Forever contains some of Allison's musically heaviest tracks to date. The third track "Unholy Affliction" has been described as "ominous" and "glitchy" by NPR. According to staff writer Jewly Hight, the track "lurches from an industrial feel to thrashy, punishing drumming and, eventually, the momentary disintegration of the ensemble altogether." She also mentioned that the track employs "sludgy guitar chords." The sixth track "Darkness Forever" also contains elements of sludge, and also employs screamed vocals during its middle section.

Sometimes, Forever has been described as "darker" and "more personal" than Soccer Mommy's previous album, while retaining Allison's tradition of confessional lyricism. The tenth track "Feel It All the Time" explores the topics of ageing and freedom. The closing track "Still" explores the topics of depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation, according to Variety.

Critical reception

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 as of 2026.

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." Pastes Eric Bennett described it as Soccer Mommy's "most creative work to date", 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." A minority of critics, however, offered more mixed reviews, with Slant Magazines Thomas Bedenbaugh describing the album as "an ambitious but unmemorable experiment", lacking the "indelible" "lyrical themes and melodies" of her previous work. 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." +Year-end ListsPublicationListRankRef.AlbumismThe 100 Best Albums of 202226Associated PressAP's Top Albums 2022N/AA.V. ClubThe 30 best albums of 202224Far OutThe 50 best albums of 202241Flood MagazineFlood's Best Albums of 202221The Forty-FiveAlbums of the year 202237ImposeThe Top 50 Albums of 2022N/AMagnetMagnet's Top 25 Albums of 20224The New York TimesBest Albums of 2022N/ANo RipcordThe 50 Best Albums of 202231Northern TransmissionsBest Albums of 202215ourcultureThe 50 Best Albums of 202234Paste MagazineThe 50 Best Albums of 202216PitchforkThe 50 Best Albums of 202245PitchforkThe 38 Best Rock Albums of 2022N/ARolling StoneThe 100 Best Albums of 202242StereogumThe 50 Best Albums of 20224Under The RadarBest Albums of 202223UproxxThe Best Albums of 2022N/AVultureThe Best Albums of 2022Honorable Mention

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

Charts + Chart performance for Sometimes, Forever Chart (2022) Peakposition Australian Digital Albums (ARIA) 32 Australian Hitseekers Albums (ARIA) 7 US Billboard 200 137

References

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