Any Shape You Take

Any Shape You Take is the second album by North Carolina-based singer Indigo De Souza. It was released on August 27, 2021, by Saddle Creek Records.^[1][2] It was recorded with Brad Cook, who has worked alongside musicians like Liz Phair, Bon Iver, and Waxahatchee.^[3]

Any Shape You Take
Studio album by Indigo De Souza
Released	August 27, 2021
Genre	Indie rock alternative rock grunge pop synth-pop
Label	Saddle Creek
Producer	Indigo De Souza Brad Cook
Indigo De Souza chronology
I Love My Mom (2018) Any Shape You Take (2021) All of This Will End (2023)

Composition

Any Shape You Take's "hooky, jagged" indie rock songs have been described collectively as a "masterwork" of the genre.^[4][5] And for being "steeped in alternative '90s goodness", it has been compared to works by bands such as the Breeders and Dinosaur Jr.^[6] Meanwhile, the album's grunge-influenced rock tracks have been regarded as a "masterful slice of grunge pop".^[7][8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.2/10^[9]
Metacritic	84/100^[10]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[4]
The A.V. Club	A−^[5]
Gigwise	10/10^[11]
The Line of Best Fit	9/10^[12]
Loud and Quiet	7/10^[13]
NME	^[8]
Paste	8.6/10^[14]
Pitchfork	8.3/10^[15]
The Skinny	^[7]
Uncut	8/10^[6]

Any Shape You Take received critical acclaim. On Metacritic, it holds a score of 84 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim", based on fifteen reviews.^[10]

Alex McLevy for The A.V. Club applauded the record, seeing it as "ferocious and vulnerable in equal measure" and "one of the year's best."^[5] Jason Anderson for Uncut called De Souza's songs "as jagged as they are exuberant."^[6] Gigwise saw the album as imbuing "existentialism in an intricately crafted mixture of melancholy joy."^[11] The Line of Best Fit dubbed De Souza's songwriting as "unafraid of expressing (neither) the depths nor the heights of a life lived with supreme sensitivity."^[12]

Accolades

Any Shape You Take on year-end lists

Publication	List	Rank	Ref.
Paste	The 50 Best Albums of 2021	25	^[16]
Pitchfork			^[17]
	The 31 Best Rock Albums of 2021	—	^[18]

Track listing

1. "17" – 3:06
2. "Darker than Death" – 3:12
3. "Die/Cry" – 2:26
4. "Pretty Pictures" – 2:58
5. "Real Pain" – 4:50
6. "Bad Dream" – 4:52
7. "Late Night Crawler" – 4:17
8. "Hold U" – 4:16
9. "Way Out" – 4:01
10. "Kill Me" – 4:20

References

1. "Indigo De Souza announces new album 'Any Shape You Take'". DIY. 15 June 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
2. Danielle Chelosky (June 15, 2021). "Indigo De Souza Announces New Album 'Any Shape You Take': Hear "Kill Me"". Stereogum. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
3. Danielle Chelosky (July 14, 2021). "Indigo De Souza Interview: The Making Of Her New Album 'Any Shape You Take'". Stereogum. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
4. Marcy Donelson. "Any Shape You Take - Indigo De Souza". AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
5. Alex McLevy (August 26, 2021). "Album review: Indigo De Souza's Any Shape You Take is a classic". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
6. "Uncut - September 2021". Internet Archive. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
7. Tony Inglis (August 23, 2021). "Indigo De Souza album review: Any Shape You Take - The Skinny". The Skinny. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
8. Rhys Buchanan (August 24, 2021). "Indigo De Souza – 'Any Shape You Take' review: finding love through turmoil". NME. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
9. "Any Shape of You by Indigo De Souza reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
10. "Any Shape You Take by Indigo De Souza Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
11. Joe Smith (August 26, 2021). "Album Review: Indigo De Souza - Any Shape You Take". Gigwise. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
12. Ben Lynch (August 23, 2021). "Indigo De Souza - Any Shape You Take". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
13. Susan Darlington (August 23, 2021). "Indigo De Souza - Any Shape You Take - Album Review - Loud and Quiet". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
14. Scott Russell (August 27, 2021). "Indigo De Souza:'Any Shape You Take' Album Review - Paste". Paste. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
15. Cat Zhang. "Indigo De Souza: Any Shape You Take Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
16. "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Paste. 29 November 2021. from the original on 2021-11-29. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
17. Pitchfork (December 7, 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
18. Pitchfork (December 8, 2021). "The 31 Best Rock Albums of 2021". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 8, 2021.