Finally, after nearly 5 years of simmering under the surface of the mainstream, British bedroom indie-rocker Freak Slug delivers her first studio album in earnest. I Blow Out Big Candles is a dark, grungy, yet undeniably graceful and feminine offering that puts this artist’s sensibilities and vulnerability on beautiful display. Marrying washed-out shoegaze guitars, simple acoustic riffs, and moody horn sections (often on the same song), each song feels like a love note, delicately folded, sealed, and delivered right to your rain-soaked window seat on the train.
Freak Slug’s production aesthetics really shine on this record, bringing so many seemingly contrasting parts under one sonic roof, with her imperfect, attitude-saturated vocals acting as the glue that binds it all together. A personal highlight is “Sexy Lemon”, with its themes of unrequited adoration, its droning synths, and its adorable beat that reminds us of early Clairo and other bedroom pop giants. As we watch Freak Slug embark on a world tour in the coming weeks, it’s clear that we’re seeing the rapid ascension of an artist who has much, much bigger things in store.
