JUST LISTEN: Soccer Mommy – I’m On Fire
Soccer Mommy – I’m On Fire
Words: Rob Connor
Let me start this by stating outright, I have a holy triumvirate of artists that I deem untouchable. One is the Rolling Stones, one is Ryan Adams and the third is The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. So it is with some trepidation I approach 21-year-old singer- songwriter Sophie Allison, also known as Soccer Mommy’s, cover of ‘I’m On Fire’. This is despite it coming off the back of an incredibly positive start to 2018, where her album ‘Clean’ has garnered high praise from critics and fans alike.
I need not have worried. Whereas the Springsteen original had that unrelenting rhythmic drive like a freight train, Allison has stripped it back to a more leisurely pace, creating a beautiful dreamlike state, really tapping into the emotion that was only previously evident through Springsteen’s vocal rather than the musical arrangement.
“I wanted to make a version of ‘I’m On Fire’ that connected with the sadness of the song,” states Allison “I think that doing a more stripped-down version allowed me to make something that feels emotionally raw.”
Allison has certainly accomplished that and she remains one to watch this year. Look out for her UK dates next month.
LIVE
4 SEP – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
5 SEP – The Deaf Institute, Manchester
7 SEP – The Grand Social, Dublin
8 SEP – Shipping Forecast, Liverpool
10 SEP – Bodega, Nottingham
11 SEP – Thekla, Bristol
12 SEP – Clwb ifor Bach, Cardiff
13 SEP – Scala, London
Listen to I’m On Fire below: