Indigo De Souza – “All of This Will End”

Indigo De Souza’s third album, “All of This Will End,” is set to release next Friday. With three of the album’s singles out so far, namely “You Can Be Mean,” “Smog” and “Younger & Dumber,” the album looks to be a little bit harder and more ‘90s influenced than De Souza’s previous works. 

“You Can Be Mean” starts with a rhythmic guitar that is so muddy and hazy it sounds like it’s being played through a dusty cassette player in an old beater car on its last legs. As the song picks up its pace, De Souza’s punk vocals shine through the mix. Strong and full of character, the three singles’ lo-fi production pairs well with De Souza’s melancholy and dismal songwriting. If you want a good cry next week, start looking forward to De Souza’s new album “All of This Will End.” 

“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret”

Prolific children’s book author Judy Blume’s hit 1970 novel “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” will be released as a film next week. The film follows a very similar plot to the novel: Margaret Simon, following a move from New York to New Jersey, has to do a project on religion for school. With one Jewish parent and one who is Christian, Margaret struggles to find her religious identity. At the same time, Margaret is hitting adolescence and working through the complications that come with that. 

With Abby Ryder Fortson portraying the titular Margaret and Rachel McAdams playing her mom, the cast looks to be well-tailored to succeed. After decades of withholding the film rights, Blume’s masterwork is finally becoming a film. For questions of childhood, religion and identity, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” is the perfect place to look. 

“Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma” by Claire Dederer

Essayist Claire Dederer’s third book, “Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma,” expands upon her viral essay “What Do We Do with the Art of Monstrous Men?” Dederer aims to examine the ways in which art made by violent or corrupt men changes in meaning or importance. Looking at artists from Picasso to Hemingway to Woody Allen, Dederer seeks to understand the role of monstrosity in the creation of great art. 

The question at the heart of Dederer’s writing is whether readers, viewers or listeners can detach the art from the artist. If the book is anything like the essay it is based on, expect Dederer to be deeply honest about her faults while still searching for answers. “Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma” releases Tuesday.

“The Ugly History of Beautiful Things” by Katy Kelleher

Katy Kelleher aims to refine the essay in her new collection “The Ugly History of Beautiful Things.” In her deep and highly researched essays, Kelleher looks at the things we find to be beautiful and exposes the dark underbelly of the process of creating them. After years of analyzing the creation and processing of colors, hues and shades, Kelleher combines the scientific analysis of color with a personal analysis of our draw to it.

Kelleher at her best exemplifies the reason that essays are such a powerful form: They give us the opportunity to dive deep into something small and find something deeper there. “The Ugly History of Beautiful Things” releases Tuesday.