Momma's fourth album starts with a declaration: “Anyone that calls / Should know I don’t look back anymore,” the Brooklyn-based quartet sings over the somber flow of ‘Sincerely’; “No return address, I love you to death / But I’m outside the door.” However, like all sentimental romantics—contradictory, heartbroken, poetic, and chaotic—they inevitably reflect on the past. Yet, ‘Welcome to My Blue Sky’ embodies duality; this longing is intertwined with the process of letting go and moving forward. While it's not strictly a break-up album, it captures a time of “parallel chaos” for the band during their 2022 tour, though it nearly evokes the essence of one. Its vibrant, spiraling rock portrays the exhilarating freedom of romanticized disarray within that context; the lively indie pop track ‘I Want You (Fever)’ and the more energetic ‘Stay All Summer’ reveal the complexities of being a devoted—and complicated—ex. Subsequently, feelings of attachment morph into unrequited lovesickness and a desire for new versions of the same experience: “I’ll see you in another life / I’m always close by / It’s such a short drive,” they croon in the nostalgic rom-com anthem ‘New Friend’. As with all poignant reflections, there’s a phase of anger, showcased in the fiery, dizzying ‘Last Kiss’ and ‘Bottle Blonde’, which embraces a hair-dye transformation as a crucial means of healing and rediscovery. Despite its exploration of emotional upheaval, ‘Welcome to My Blue Sky’ conveys a sense of healthy closure. “It’s so hard to leave it,” they sing over the flowing rock, bringing the hazy, melancholic yet serene album to a close—one that reaffirms their place in the genre: “I miss it but I’ve moved on.”
A record of duality; in this context, longing is inherently linked to cleansing and progressing.
