Sometimes an album’s cover will lock you in before you even hear a note of its music. Indigo De Souza’s ‘Precipice’ arrives adorned with an incredible painting by the musician’s mother, whose colourful, unusual but warm hues adroitly capture the music contained within it.
But by way of contrast, the US musician has experienced an enormously difficult couple of years, including losing her North Carolina home in a hurricane. However, she’s proved remarkably resilient; her previous album reached the top 20 of the US Heatseekers chart and she’s releasing ‘Precipice’ via the esteemed label Loma Vista.
Her fourth album’s tone matches her ascent to the big leagues. Perhaps in defiant response to her recent hardships, these 11 tracks exude confidence and headstrong sentiments.
“I’m not afraid of dying anymore / I’m not afraid of living either,” she sings on Not Afraid, recalling the zen headspace of the following track’s title Be Like The Water.
Musically, this is De Souza’s most electronics-heavy album. The result is a fabulously unique take on synth-pop, one that flirts with retro sounds but never succumbs to them, conjuring abstract textures (Be Like Water) and ambient vistas (Dinner) that never veer away from emotionally resonant accessibility.
The least interesting tracks are the most guitar-heavy. Heartbreaker is nice but lacks quirks, while Heartthrob is a bit too close to the festival-friendly 2010s UK indie sound. Nonetheless, De Souza’s latest is broad success; a confident, commanding collection that delivers a clear sense of its creator’s imagination and strength.
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