All of This Will End by Indigo De Souza

There are many ways an artist can pay homage to an earlier time or work, and there’ve been a number of artists on this year’s Top 31 who are clearly referring to something previous. Teenage Sequence is kinda LCD Soundsystem. Greg Mendez is kinda Elliott Smith. Tennis, Kate Bush. Ratboys, Pale Jay, and Anohni equal Big Thief, Lee Fields and Nina Simone, respectively. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Indigo De Souza, the Asheville, North Carolina-based, American-Brazilian singer-songwriter, whose fantastic third album All of This Will End is coming in at #13, is also phoning in directly from the referential dept. Take some Courtney Barnett rock n’ roll fuzz, some Liz Phair directness, and even some of Alanis’ production, and you’ll end up smack dab in the middle of this De Souza record. While it’s not breaking new musical ground (what is anymore, really?), it’s hitting all the right indie rock spots.

De Souza is blunt. The title of the new album is, as you might expect, related to the finality of everything. She told WhyNow.co.uk, “I know that I am fleeting and I’m dying.”

“I named the album All of This Will End because it took me a while to accept that. Once I was able to accept that, feel less afraid of it but more open to it and curious about it, my life started to become more meaningful because accepting you are a temporary thing is what gives way to meaning and intention and connection. “It doesn’t give way if you think you’re special and you’re never gonna die, or if you’re so afraid of death you can’t even think about it. I know the people I love are going to die and so am I, so I love them even more, and I put so much time and effort into showing up. “I basically do as much as I can to shine a light on any corner I can reach. Any corner beyond what I know is beyond my control. I try to pour as much intention into everything I do, as much as I can, because I want people to feel included and safe. I know how lonely it is to be alive, so it feels important to create community if it’s possible at all.”

That loneliness and finality shines through in the lyrics scattered throughout All of This. But the album is not sad and lonely – it is triumphant, loud, and in your face in the best way. Give the song above, “Smog,” a listen and you’ll see. Or watch one of the other videos from the album: “Younger & Dumber” (the quietest song on the album) and “You Can Be Mean” (not so quiet). Then put the album on when you’re angry at the world and want to take out your frustrations. You’ll be glad you did.