After releasing her latest EP 'Slow Down Babe' in June last year, Manchester's Xenya Genovese aka Freak Slug proved that alongside genius London producer Dwyer she could translate the quality of her successful singles throughout 2019 and 2020 into a more fleshed-out collection of songs. Her music is ultimately nonchalant with rounded basslines that pulse under slow, unobtrusive drum grooves wrapped in a timeless affinity for soft, flowery instrumental touches. It made for one of the easiest to love listens of last year, and first single of 2022 'Out of the Blue' continues to affirm her validity as a consistently successful songwriter.
Jointly produced by longtime Freak Slug collaborators Nicolaj Thompson and Connor Miller, 'Out of the Blue' retains all the hallmarks of her past releases - hypnotic rhythms, a double-tracked and ultrafeminine vocal presence and chorusy rhythm guitar, but the dialogue unfolds more subtly here, so that the focus is solely on her devotional songwriting.
While 'Out of the Blue' is considerably more accessible than the more warped cuts of 'Slow Down Babe' or any of her alt house 2021 releases as ZULA (her partnership with Glue70) the vulnerability and innocence of ‘Out Of The Blue’ invites you to stare into early love’s infinite skyline and despite its gentle commercial subversion, doesn't feel like a backwards step. The pillowy, repetitive instrumentation rather than feeling like a crutch, accentuates all the purest elements of her work and propels the track at a meditative yet uptempo pace. The clever new wave guitar work ties itself into a cherry stem knot, moving between dense chugging power chords, exploratory lines and rich full chords of chorus. Lyrically Freak Slug latches onto those simple, obvious desires a relationship brings to the forefront and places them in the spotlight. After all the work she's put in these past few years, watching her sink into the deep vulnerabilities that come with an exciting romance without a second thought is a reminder of how important that can be.
"Now, I wanna be your everything"
To conclude, 'Out of the Blue' is a track that perfectly exemplifies the most delicate acts of affection. It's a simple song, one where its entire essence is apparent from the first listen. This not having to dig through layers of ideas allows the song to hook into your heart within seconds, providing instantly what the soul requires with elegance and ease.
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