Sophia
There Are No Goodbyes

THE REVIEW

Once upon a time, there were the God Machine. A band whose philosophy was rooted in noise and epicness. They released two important albums for the '90s crossover ("Scenes From The Second Storey" and "One Last Laugh In A Place Of Dying"), and just when everything seemed to be going right, a brain tumor took away Jimmy Fernandez, the bassist of the God Machine. Robin Proper-Shepard, the founder of the group, decided to start anew with Sophia, cutting ties with the past. While the God Machine was furious, the Sophia was sadly acoustic and imbued with a subtle and subdued despair. Do not listen to "Fixed Water" and "The Infinite Circle" if someone has just left you. Do not listen to them if you are going through a difficult time. They could deliver the final blow.

At a certain point, however, Robin decides that's enough. The pain of losing his friend has eased, and as is known, women have always been a source of both joy and pain. There is a pop turn. "People Are Like Seasons" (indeed) and "Technology Won’t Save Us" open a new chapter in the history of Sophia. Strings come in, arrangements become more airy, and melodic hooks more recognizable and easily assimilated. Despair is put away in a drawer. But not locked. With the freedom to occasionally peek out and say: "Hey Robin, I'm still here, don't forget it".

We arrive then at "There Are No Goodbyes". Let’s clear up any confusion by declaring that this is Robin’s masterpiece, where the acoustic "Sadness" and pop flashes find their perfect union. The opening duo serves to demonstrate this. "There Are No Goodbyes" and "A Last Dance", in their simplicity, declare their intentions. Straight drums, melodies that rise and build until they explode in your face. With "Something", thanks to a sweet female voice that duets with Robin, the peak of sweetness is already reached. And we're only halfway through.

"Obvious" and "Signs" possess a creeping melancholy that grips your throat before you even notice. I am sure Coldplay would pay gold to write such songs. "Portugal" is Robin's goodbye, a song with subdued tones after all the emotions unleashed up to this point. Throughout the album, there's a feeling of abandonment, of homes left to rot (the cover is emblematic), but with an awareness that perhaps everything could return to the way it was before. Or maybe not. The difference now is that you can listen to Sophia if someone has left you. You will suffer, you will cry, but there is a glimmer of hope. This is what makes "There Are No Goodbyes" a necessary album. 

Make it yours.