On their debut full-length, Boston quartet Sophie’s Body deliver eight energetic, catchy, and highly enjoyable ‘bubblegrunge’ tunes.
Release date: October 30, 2026 | Independent | Bandcamp | Instagram
The first time I heard the term ‘bubblegrunge’ was back in 2017, when I saw it used to describe Guppy, the now-seminal debut record from New York’s cult indie favorites Charly Bliss. In the context of that record, it was an apt descriptor: soaring pop hooks, alternately wailing and crunching guitar riffs, and bright, childlike vocals came together in an appealingly infectious combo. Seeing it used in the Bandcamp tags for Zero, likewise the debut full-length from Boston quartet Sophie’s Body, made me wonder if I was in for something similar but there are a few more influences are mixed in, resulting in a much different beast – albeit one that maintains high quality throughout its short but sweet 23-minute runtime.
The tight drum beat from Dylan Hughes that ushers in opener “Eyes” sets the tone perfectly: both upfront and ominous, post-punk in vibe and delivery. This genre plays the biggest part in the trajectory of the song, with driving bass and jangling guitars making themselves felt one by one in sublimely brooding fashion. The main draw though is vocalist Sophie McMinn, whose singing is at-turns coy and confrontational. ‘Living like a ghost again/Leave the lights off/How ironic that it’s you who’s haunting me/Every night that I try to sleep‘, she calls, the volume of the instruments increasing as she does. When the song reaches its finale – a wall of ringing guitars, crashing cymbals, and McMinn’s wordless cooing – it’s pure, moody bliss.
From here, Sophie’s Body branch out in a number of musical directions: the punky thrashing and rapid-fire vocals of “Cowboy on a Cross” bring to mind the underrated Melvins offshoot Crystal Fairy, the mid-tempo “Long Term Loaner” emphasizes both grunge’s pulsating dejection and shoegaze’s echoing tremolo, and “ConcretePlastic” throws in some danceable hi-hat patterns that rub up against dissonant guitars. “Star Master” marks a jarring shift in aesthetic – with what sounds like a completely different snare drum that wouldn’t sound out of place on a grindcore album, and either a keyboard or a guitar effect that SOUNDS like a keyboard leading the charge. The refrain on this song is one of the best on the album, evoking the pop-slackerism of the ’90s without seeming like pastiche.
Album closer “Indigo” is the longest song here at four minutes, and its lugubrious, mournful progression reminds of Slow Crush at their most introspective. Crushing guitars and drums meet McMinn’s quietly heartbreaking singing, before abruptly peeling away for the breathtaking ending:
‘Indigo shimmer
Pooling in the rain
Bare feet step right in it
Race through the limit
Reflection in the mud.‘
To return to the opening comparison of what it means to be ‘bubblegrunge’, I’m not so sure I’d ascribe that tag to Sophie’s Body on the basis of Zero. There are simply too many other, more downcast sounds at play here – namely shoegaze and post-punk – that cancel out the ‘bubble’ in the equation. That’s not to say the album doesn’t have hooks, because they’re present in every song, giving each one a unique identity. Best of all, the band knows not to overstay its welcome, keeping their songs trim and thereby maximizing their emotional impact. The upshot is a highly enjoyable debut album, and one that shows enormous potential going forward for the group.
