Freak Slug - I Blow Out Big Candles

You don’t call your project Freak Slug if you’re particularly bothered with toeing the line of the perfectly put-together and traditionally feminine. The pseudonym of Manchester’s Xenya Genovese, debut ‘I Blow Out Big Candles’ instead positions the musician in a ‘90s-influenced world that leans heavily into distorted fuzz and effect-laden, dreamy vocals that teeter between alluring and bored, giving the general vibe of someone who probably spent a lot of her school hours smoking behind the gym shed. However where, with some artists, this laconic approach can sometimes result in a lack of actual, y’know, tunes, Genovese also has an ear for melody that gives these tracks something tangible to hang onto within the haze. 

‘Spells’ is an easy highlight; a slinking, sleazy thing that hooks around a hypnotic bassline before bringing in the sort of odd, twitching synths that elevate the track into original, exciting territory. Likewise ‘Hello’ begins in approachable, jangly fashion - something like early, wide-eyed Swim Deep - before the tide turns, flipping the middle eight into dirgy, creepy greatness. It’s when Genovese lets the Freak overtake the lackadaisical Slug that ‘… Big Candles’ is best. ‘Be Your Girl’ is clearly attempting a stylistic choice with its constantly repeated “I won’t get bored”, but the end product veers too close for comfort; instead, opt for tracks like opener ‘Ya Ready’ where, even with stoned tempos and minimal ingredients, Genovese’s innate idiosyncrasies shine through.