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Manchester’s Freak Slug, a.k.a. Xenya Genovese, makes jangly indie-pop with a quietly confident underbelly. On new song “Underwater” she offers up reassurance that loneliness is only temporary and that conformity is never the way towards true acceptance. This self-help messaging is submerged in a fantastical storytelling device as Genovese imagines escaping the built-up reality of life by diving in and exploring the deep blue sea. “Take the trip, take a dip. Underwater. Let’s go,” she sings over rattling percussion and sparse chords. It’s a wondrous idea and one she sells with ease with a song that calls to mind the recent Nilüfer Yanya album Painless, which similarly combines searching lyricsm with stark yet impactful guitars.

“Underwater” will appear on upcoming Freak Slug EP I’m In Love, set for release on July 22 via Our House Records. In an email Genovese tells The FADER: “‘Underwater’ is a reflection on the journey of self discovery and spirituality, into the unknown we are never alone and always guided. It’s also about love and going underwater into their magic world feeling like the BFG”