Freak Slug - I Blow Out Big Candles (Future 
Classic)
Release Date: Out Now
I've really enjoyed discovering Manchester's Freak Slug in 2024 so it is only fitting that the year culminates in her debut album, 'I Blow Out Big Candles'. The album opens with 'Ya Ready' which builds from a fairly innocuous acoustic strum into a laid back jam that sounds like Beck but with a Californian PJ Harvey on vocals. Former single 'Sexy Lemon' is more Badly Drawn Boy inspired indie-folk romp with gorgeous vocal layering and a break-out of Sleigh Bells-esque attitude before 'Spells' goes all glitchy and unhinged on us like Halloween an abandoned caravan park arcade.
On 'Be Your Girl', Freak Slug does a dreamy Lana Del Rey thing but matched with Weezer's lo-fi grunge style and then 'Get Away' straps on some Nirvana riffs funnelled through a sugary kaleidoscope and we're floating away on the laid-back alt-pop beats to blissville. 'Shiver' is a gloriously polished slice of dream-pop but with more vim and vigour than the genre normally allows for while 'Hello' gives strong Sleater Kinney vibes that I'm absolutely here for.
As we enter the home straight, 'Witch' staggers and lurches through the melody and beat but still manages to sound fabulous like a day drinker with immaculate make up and perfect hair. Penultimate song 'Piece Of Cake' has a Gorillaz meets Beck vibe with a wonky melody and infectious groove which makes this my favourite track of the collection - especially the chorus which sounds like grunge-pop with the cast of Sesame Street guesting on various solo elements. The album finishes up with 'Ugly Smile', a track that veers from melodic to sinister with the kind of careless abandon that would make you nervous if it was driving your taxi. The creativity, originality and sheer freedom of this record is utterly joyous and I hope (and believe) this is just the beginning for Freak Slug.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/freakslug
Live Dates:
DEC 03 – Genghis Cohen | LA, CA, USA
DEC 05 – Gold Diggers | LA, CA, USA - SOLD OUT
DEC 07 – Baby’s All Right | Brooklyn, NY, USA
DEC 08 – Union Pool | Brooklyn, NY, USA - SOLD OUT
DEC 10 – Schubas | Chicago, IL, USA