Color Theory (stylized in all lowercase) is the second studio album by American indie rock singer-songwriter Sophie Allison, known under the moniker Soccer Mommy. It was released on February 28, 2020, through Loma Vista Recordings.
At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, the album received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package, losing out to the 50th Anniversary Edition of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass.
Described by AllMusic as "grunge-lite," and by NME as "an account of personal pain set to warm lo-fi pop," Sophie Allison herself has described the sound on Color Theory as "the music of my childhood distressed." The album is described as simultaneously "bigger and brighter" and "grimmer". According to Pitchfork, "The songs on Color Theory sometimes feels like a series of 8-point-font text messages projected onto highway billboards." The album is divided into three parts, each named after a color. Allison has said the albums distinct sections "represent the problems that IâÂÂve developed as IâÂÂve grown up, and how theyâÂÂve changed me". The album's lyrics explore themes such as homesickness, disease, fear of loss and despair. Allison's vocal performance on the album is characterized by her "plain voice". Her vocals have been described as "melodic, but not in the least showy." The rhythmic style on Color Theory is largely built around "chugging" power chords on the guitar played with downstrokes. Additionally, Allison used floppy disk samples, drum machines, and sound effects on the album, and employed unorthodox instruments such as the Mellotron and Wurlitzer.
Color Theory was met with critical acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 81, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 22 reviews.
Jayson Greene of Pitchfork wrote, "the second album from singer-songwriter Sophie Allison is piercing and unpredictable. In contrast to its bigger and brighter sound, the mood is grimmer, the emotional truths darker." Michael Hann of The Guardian wrote "Sophie AllisonâÂÂs second album deals with ill-health and despair, but you would hardly know it from the fantastic arrangements and tunes." Hannah Mylrea of NME said the album is "as beautiful as it is brave".
AllMusic wrote, "Though the songs here aren't quite as immediately infectious as Clean, its combination of deceptively warm surfaces, alluring melodies, and subtly distorted textures reward repeat listens with that sense of discovery." NME gave the album four stars out of five, calling it "deeply moving."
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.
Musicians
Production and artwork