Best albums of 2023: #24


#24 feeble little horse, ‘Girl With Fish’

Genre: Noise Rock/Shoegaze






Girl With Fish is in great contrast to the boygenius album, which mainly provoked emotion by being quiet and solemn. It’s loud, noisy, and intentionally mixed strangely, hitting you with waves of searingly loud and distorted guitars and quick bursts of ideas. However, despite going the opposite direction, it manages to create a powerful experience that will stick with you long after the album is over.


There is a clear similarity between this album and the 1991 album “loveless” by My Bloody Valentine, and it’s not just because they share a genre. The voices of the lead singers are very similar, quiet and comforting, and they both compliment the loud, fuzzy guitars in their respective albums. Of course, this album has a more modern feel, the weight of a genre that’s been refined over the 32 years since its inception. But Loveless is practically a required listen to understand what this album is doing (as well as being very, very good).


The instrumentation and mixing in Girl With Fish, while not particularly revolutionary in terms of shoegaze, is still very enjoyable and creative. From the first song all the way through to the last one, it sets a distinct tone. Said first song, Freak, leaves an immediate and immense impression. It’s mixed in a murky and muddy way, filled with harsh, almost glitchy noise. The singer’s calm and quiet voice feels like a beacon of light through the chaos. Meanwhile, the lyrics speak of a relationship between people of different social groups, almost reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. 


It’s ironic that along with the mixing and aesthetic of this project being notably murky, the songs begin to blend together rather quickly. Past the first three songs or so, they all sound like another different song on this album that you’ve heard already. In all honesty, it’s difficult to review individual songs because I would be saying the same few things repeatedly. There aren’t any that sound particularly bad, but they don’t show much variation from the norms of the genre. While that isn’t necessarily terrible, it’s hard to imagine coming back to more than a few songs off of this album, and the full experience probably won’t stick with you long after it’s over. The time spent listening to the album is definitely enjoyable but you’ll have to listen to it repeatedly for it to stay with you very long, and what you’re presented with isn’t valuable enough for that to be worth it.


However, this general gripe does come with a pretty big caveat: Pocket. This is the prime example of the best parts of this album. It begins with a satisfying instrumental that immediately makes you feel like you’re floating above it. The singer chants “Do you wanna be in my pocket?” over and over, speaking to a potential romantic partner in a way that seems more like a warning than a confession. There are quiet glitching effects in the background, which along with the somewhat ominous lyrics building up a feeling of mild disquietment. The intentional discomfort hits its peak when the singer starts viscerally describing the feeling of “a dead man fucking me,” perhaps metaphorically alluding to a previous lover she can’t get over. Then, as the flow of her singing moves back to the chorus, the song is interrupted out of nowhere by a loud explosion of guitars and noise. It’s a cathartic release to the tension that’s been built up, and it’s heavenly. 


All in all, Girl With Fish is hard not to enjoy. The emotions it presents are refreshingly raw, and you’ll certainly have a good time with it one way or another.


Favorite songs: 


1. Pocket

2. Freak

3. Steamroller

Least favorite song: Heaven

Favorite moment: When Pocket suddenly hits you with a wave of sound.

Favorite lyric: “But when I dent you, I end up bruised” in Tin Man.

https://open.spotify.com/album/4lVMhVIgEdxIoTu7gS7CoT?si=ExilbC9NT1ev48Ah446xXw

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