Soccer Mommy @ SWG3, Glasgow, 13 May

It’s been noted previously that the music of Sophie Allison, aka Soccer Mommy, could be described as being rooted in ‘ethereality,’ as well as of this Earth. The song that opens tonight's show, Abigail – an ode to a character in Stardew Valley – helps feeds into the outside-of-this-realm ideology from the get-go, while songs like circle the drain (notably Soccer Mommy's second most-streamed Spotify song) feature the addition of bubble sound effects for an underwater feel. Despite all this, there's a placidity to be found in the crowd's reaction tonight. While you wouldn’t expect a Soccer Mommy show to have hooting and hollering, the atmosphere feels somewhat flat.

On the performance side of things, the drum is very much the heartbeat throughout the set, keeping things succinct. While that beat is matched by dreamy guitars and a touch of synthesizers every now and then, the overall lofi sound is at least enough for those watching to nod along. When frontwoman Allison announces she’s going to play an older song at the show's midpoint, there’s a slight jump in enthusiasm from the crowd; a smattering of “woos!” fill the room before they play Cool, from her 2018 debut album Clean.

Towards the end of the set, the rhythm section exit the stage, leaving Allison to perform Lost, accompanied only by fellow guitarists Julian Powell and Rodrigo Avendano. It's beautifully intricate and raw, as Allison laments about being 'lost in a way that never ends'. It’s a short song, but an emotional gutter punch nonetheless. Following this, she performs solo; bathed in a white light, there’s something quietly heavenly about her voice in this moment.

Overall, tonight's show is a bit of a slow burn, and not wholly transformative, but a ferocious, new energy arrives when the full band returns to the stage and they collectively build up to crawling in my skin. Cascading into Salt In Wound, it rides a high sonic wave into closer Your Dog, before the encore. Soccer Mommy are a tight band who take us on a journey with their sombre, aching tracks and brooding performance, to something maybe not quite of this Earth, but perhaps within a realm outside of that.