#2 - feeble little horse - "Freak"
The most electrifying album opener of the year, “Freak” functions like an instant hit of frisson. A fuzzy guitar spins you around and buries you under sheets of aluminum, and then Lydia Slocum’s airy yet potent voice reaches in like a hand pulling you from the rubble: I know you want me freak.
And then she delivers my favorite line of the year: “How can you be satisfied? She’s 5 foot 1, you’re 6 foot 5.” It’s funny, but I love it mostly because of the ridiculous way Slocum throws her pitch up at the end like a gawky giraffe neck shooting into the sky. Gives me a dumb grin every time.
For a couple of months I listened to Girl With Fish nonstop, and I couldn’t pinpoint what made it so addictive. It’s not shockingly innovative, but there’s a kind of spectral charm to Slocum’s voice and the way it cheekily glides above the clanging instruments. It feels like everyday life with a touch of the surreal, a magic town where the squirrels can fly and the pavement smiles up at you.
The list:
#10 - bar italia - "Missus Morality" / "maddington" (tie)
#9 - Ken Carson - “Lose It” / “Me N My Kup” (tie)
#7 - saya - “blood school” / sprinks - “Paradox” (tie)
#6 - lostrushi - “HYDROXYCUT” / “USE YOUR WINGS”
#4 - xaviersobased - "u dk how 2 hoop" / Nettspend ft. Osamason - "Wake up" (tie)