Indigo de Souza at Brighton Music Hall 9/26
What’s not to love about a girl and her dog?
Something I ask myself in the corner of the photo pit as a black fuzzy blur of a dog suddenly bursts from the curtained-off green room of Brighton Music Hall and makes a quick lap of the stage between sets, much to the crowd’s delight.
After a killer opening set by Horse Jumper of Love, closing out their accompaniment of Indigo de Souza on tour, the room is buzzing with warmth. Familiar faces circle around the venue, and anyone who is anyone in the greater Allston-Brighton music scene is here tonight.
The set starts off mellow, with the quiet ambiance of “Any Shape You Take,” de Souza’s August 2021 release. Her first full album release since 2018’s “I Love My Mom,” her status as an up-and-comer in the indie rock scene has been solidified with glowing reactions and a shining “Best New Music” review from Pitchfork.
The undercurrents of sorrow and tenderness running through the entirety of “Any Shape You Take” flow similarly over the course of the set, with swaying ballads climaxing with crooning notes. With songs like “Real Pain,” de Souza’s sing-screams seem to cause the room to expand as we collectively gasp for breath and erupt in a celebratory cheer.
Popular tracks from “Any Shape You Take” and “I Love My Mom” are crowd favorites, and the joyful collective cry of the opening lines of “Kill Me” would be funny if it wasn’t so earnest. “Take Off Your Pants” closes out the night, a catchy and upbeat, yet still poetic, encore that reduces the audience to a jumping, singing, laughing jumble.
If you missed her this time around, catch Indigo de Souza at the Royale on January 27th. You won’t be disappointed!