Indigo De Souza – ‘Precipice’ album review: a beast that’s been tamed too much
THE SKINNY: Over the course of her first three albums, North Carolina singer-songwriter Indigo De Souza has taken her listeners through a wealth of different styles, timbres and emotions. Usually, this is a prime indication that an artist has an unwavering hunger to bare their soul and continue to try out new things in an effort to keep their records feeling fresh and exciting. On her fourth album, Precipice, there are very few new ideas, and while tweaking the imperfections of previous outings would be another valid pathway for a follow-up album, she’s ended up muddying everything that was once good.
When I say ‘artists who bare their souls’, De Souza did plenty of this on each record of hers during her ascent to popularity. I Love My Mom was a staggeringly good debut considering it poured out of a 21-year-old, while Any Shape You Take and All of This Will End showed a remarkable sense of maturation taking place as De Souza aimed to make sense of everything while expanding her musical palette on those records. Precipice, well, it still sounds like her, but it’s striking how little she seems to have to say, other than to offer up watered-down lyricism that scans like diaristic scribbles.
It’s understandable that writing from a place of emotional turmoil can be exhausting, and that an artist who has dedicated large amounts of time to this might wish to take a break from it, but at the same time, when it removes a significant portion of your source of inspiration, then of course things are going to sound phoned-in. There’s a balance to be kept; you don’t want to change so drastically that fans are confused by the leap, but also, you don’t want to continue digging yourself further into despair. This is how albums like Precipice come about; it wants to step away, but does so with far too much caution.
As a result, this decision to tiptoe delicately around what appears to be an artistic transition period has provided an album that is largely below the quality that would be expected of someone of De Souza’s capability. An all-guns-blazing 180-degree approach may have scared a few people off, but it would have been much more commendable than an album that feels too pedestrian and safe to keep the attention of old fans or entice new ones.
For fans of: Opening the notes app, reminiscing about things you jotted down yonks ago, and then forgetting all about it again.
A concluding comment from the new journal I’m yet to write in: “Don’t you dare write lyrics like this in me.”
Precipice track by track:
Release Date: July 25th | Producer: Indigo De Souza & Elliott Kozel | Label: Loma Vista
‘Be My Love’: The ambience of this opener feels like it might be pulling you into something maximalist, and when the bass finally comes through, you feel as though you’re hearing the overture to a masterpiece. The textures here and De Souza’s vocal performance set things up nicely. [3.5/5]
‘Crying Over Nothing’: Despite the production of the opener suggesting that we could be getting a luscious record of forward-thinking indie pop, ‘Crying Over Nothing’ strips that away with a retro synth line and a rather bland and uninspired set of both melodies and lyrics. [2.5/5]
‘Crush’: We’ve all had a crush on someone, and it’s the sort of thing that gets your head spinning to the point of giddiness. There’s a reason they call it a rollercoaster of emotions, not a log flume. [2/5]
‘Not Afraid’: The lyrics confront death and mortality, but not in the way that De Souza used to do in earnest. These are shallow and trite, and don’t give off the sense that she’s unafraid of whether she lives or dies; she just sounds nonplussed about it. [1.5/5]
‘Be Like the Water’: We’ve moved away from the attempts to write big pop bangers and returned to dreamy indie pop, but it still feels as though something is missing from the song that really wants to grab your attention. [3/5]
‘Heartthrob’: There’s a sense of vitality and purpose here that’s been absent from much of the album so far, and the driving rhythm, anthemic guitars and slightly strained vocal delivery are indicative of the sheer enthusiasm that was put into it. Here’s hoping that this is the point where things kick on. [3.5/5]
‘Dinner’: Just like that, all of the energy is sapped from the record again. A slow piano ballad with lyrics about “crying in the parking lot” that you feel as though you’ve heard before, and little uplift. [2/5]
‘Clean It Up’: Again, this just seems to meander along, and there aren’t many highlights in the song’s structure, hook or lyrics that suggest they’re going to stick with you for long after it finishes. The occasional vocal effects that one might expect to hear in a hyperpop track don’t fit, and while it isn’t exactly unpleasant, it doesn’t exactly please either. [2.5/5]
‘Heartbreaker’: This is another slight lift, and although the lyrics could do with being rid of the cliches about how much love hurts and missing someone who broke your heart, the song behind it has some interesting peaks where the listener is taken by surprise. [3/5]
‘Pass It By’: If you told me this was a forgotten B-side from a 2000s pop group, I would believe you. There’s no personality here, and that’s exactly what is being called out for. [1.5/5]
‘Precipice’: It would be a bit more forgivable if a genuinely impressive album ended on a subdued track that felt like a demo that had been tacked onto it, but when this is over, the album’s over, and you’re left to wonder where the substance went. [2.5/5]
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