We’ve heard it before, but rarely as honestly or brutally straight forward.įavorite tracks include “Darker than Death” “Die/Cry” and “Pretty Pictures” - pop nuggets that come in at three minutes or less. You may be finding your own way, Indigo, but we’ve all been there. These are songs about misplaced devotion and insecurity taken to a familiar level. The one-sheet that came with the record describes the daughter of musicians and her constant struggle to find her voice as she goes through painful relationships, and so on.
#INDIGO DE SOUZA BAND HOW TO#
Built on a framework of traditional modern indie pop, De Souza in some ways is old school in that she knows how to write a great hook, how to drop in a tasty power chord, where to bring in the rest of the band in a way that makes you look up from whatever you’re doing and PAY ATTENTION. Ten songs, 38 minutes, not a dud in the bunch.
This is a long preamble to say that Indigo De Souza doesn’t fall into any of these categories, and yet, her new album, Any Shape You Take, released in late August, is my favorite Saddle Creek release in the past few years. While I love Disq’s latest album, it’s hardly broken through in a way that, say, Big Thief, Saddle Creek’s most successful recent signing has, and alas, one that quickly moved onto a different label after only a couple releases. Hop Along and Frances Quinlan get their share of Sirius XMU plays and Disq was my choice for a Saddle Creek breakout band. These are the most predictable acts of the recent signings (last six years) and the most enjoyable.
Then there’s the label’s more accessible indie-rock staples - Hop Along, Stef Chura, Disq. But, man, you better be in the right mood for it. Meg Duffy of Hand Habits is a major talent and I love her work. Then there’s the label’s cadre of forlorn singer/songwriter projects like Tomberlin, Black Belt Eagle Scout and Hand Habits. Both acts are hugely popular with critics, but you have to wonder how well they sell or get played on streaming services, which these days is the mark of success.
Young Jesus, another recent Saddle Creek addition, also takes its songwriting to experimental levels that borders on jam band territory. “Challenging” is a charitable description. Many are those of the art/noise set applauded the release of Spirit of the Beehive’s Entertainment.Death - a recording I equate to watching a fine arthouse film that you can admire while seated in the dark but will likely never see again, unless you’re stoned (which I’ve never been). But even that seemed like a winsome stroll off the beaten path compared to some of the label’s recent choices. Saddle Creek would “sign” its first non-Nebraska acts after the turn of century - Rilo Kiley (with front woman Jenny Lewis), Azure Ray and Now It’s Overhead seemed like perfect fits whereas craggy, rustic balladeers Two Gallants was a head scratcher. And while each band had a distinctly different approach, lazy music critics quickly coined the term “the Omaha Sound,” though they’d be hard pressed to actually define what it was. The other prerequisite to landing on the label, of course, was the quality of their music.
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