There are few that can articulate the isolation of wallowing in your bedroom after a painful rejection like Soccer Mommy’s Sophie Allison. Sure, pop stars have made their career based on their romantic woes, but with such a grandiose production that they often forget the many solitary moments spent trudging through the muck of despair. Alison has always found a sweet spot between simplicity and authenticity and “Still Clean” is another subtle example of her ability to describe complex melancholies.
The track dives into the pain of sitting around waiting for love that will, ultimately, never be returned. And, in similar fashion to her fantastic single, “Your Dog,” she opens the song comparing herself to an animal. “In the summer, you said you loved me like an animal/ Stayed beside me just enough to keep your belly full.” While the aforementioned single pulled no punches in confronting those who treated her wrong, “Still Clean” finds Alison stuck between fall for an inattentive crush and slowly figuring out that they will never change. The hopelessness of rejection begins to fester slowly inside her heart. If “Your Dog” served as step two (anger) of the grieving process, then “Still Clean” is the beginning of step four: Depression.
