Soccer. came out swinging and put everything on the table with “Seasons Move Forward.” 18 minutes is all it took for them to deliver everything a fan of intense drumming, tasteful screaming, raw bone chilling lyrics, and loud fuckin’ rock music can appreciate.
“Hurting” gives me everything I want in an opener. A slow instrumental builds up into an all-out war between drums, riff, and gut-wrenching vocals.
This song attacks an extremely serious topic in such a gentle manner it feels comforting. “What could I do while you were crying? I am afraid of hurting myself” is spoken with childlike innocence, boiling down such an intense topic into something so black and white. The lyricism is intense, and I’ve found myself thinking about the line “but I don’t think everything needs a reason, blood and sunsets have similar colors” no fewer than a dozen times over the last weeks.
The song sounds so simple in design, but the way that second rush of energy comes in after the “FUCK!” is nostalgic of everything that got you into this genre.
The tone and emotion in the vocals don’t feel forced either. Every single word on this project, be it screamed, spoken or shouted genuinely sounds like the singer is calling for help with everything their voice can muster. There is a sense of desperation in the tone that is not easily replicable.
Vocal delivery on tracks like “III” come off almost chant-like, adding yet another driving force to their sound.
“Miracles” shows the groups range into a much more mellow, yet bright sound. This is the type of song that can only be appreciated to its fullest potential at max volume with the windows down.
The production is worthy of a hat tip as well. The high end, specifically the ride, sounds crispier than mamas fried chicken. In “Winter ‘21” The contrast between some of the twangier guitar lines over the feel-it-in-your-bones brute force drumming gifts the listener with an audible battle of good vs evil that combines into some of the most truly emotional music so far this year.
“Still” jumps right into “IV” off a perfect cliff hanger and “_” fits so much vibe into 1:29 I am left only wishing it were longer. The perfect morning porch coffee song. Every second of this album is time well spent. I cannot stop listening to this album and am already yearning for what is next. This will be an album you continue going back to for more. Remember the name soccer.
(Question for chat: has nobody coined the term “fuckdown” for breakdowns that start with a “FUCK!”? Seems like a wasted opportunity.)
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/fuckdown/pl.u-9N9LJeytxoZrv5
Soccer. Is on twitter (X) @supersadsoccer links below!
The Diygest 
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