Album Review: Girl with Fish by Feeble Little Horse

Written By Kate Widmer

Sophomore albums are this cool little limbo space where people don’t really know what to expect, which can cause a certain level of anxiety for the artist and fans alike. After a beloved debut, there’s not really much “winning” unless the artist somehow manages to hit that sweet spot again, or even top it. But sometimes they do.

Enter Feeble Little Horse, a Pittsburgh noise-pop band made up of four friends who were strung together by mutual friends and a desire to make music. The band was founded by Sebastian Kinsler and Ryan Walchonski, two University of Pittsburgh students who became friends playing guitar opposite each other in a local band. The addition of Jake Kelley on drums happened naturally; he was Ryan’s roommate and would record drums as a favor when asked. The result was the EP modern tourism (2021), which features the meticulous scuzz that they’re now known for with a decidedly more garage-rock feel. Work on their first LP began before the EP was released, and included the addition of Lydia Slocum: a multimedia artist/fellow student who was introduced to the band via a mutual friend of hers and Sebastian’s. Sebastian and Lydia made some songs together over the phone (under the names Loser Pointer and Kiddie, respectively) and discussed making a split, but instead Lydia was invited to “be an equestrian” via group chat, an offer she eagerly accepted. The resulting album Hayday (2021) was critically acclaimed across a variety of music publications, and was even featured in NPR and the New York Times. It features all the charm of the EP, but the band is brought to a new level with the addition of Lydia’s simple-yet-effective lyrics that are now a hallmark of the band’s artistry. The band’s signing to Saddle Creek (home of Big Thief, Indigo de Souza, and Spirit of the Beehive) and subsequent re-release of Hayday with two new bonus tracks (a fleshed-out version of one of the original Loser Pointer/Kiddie songs, and a remix of “Termites” by Full Body 2), officially established the horses as a member of the growing noise scene in Philadelphia, despite their Pittsburgh origins. Their list of accomplishments becomes even more impressive when you realize that they’re a dorm-room DIY band that wasn’t even a year old at the time of Hayday’s release.

Despite their success, the band assumed that their first album would be their last. Their staunchly DIY approach to music includes the caveat of “if it’s not fun, there’s no point,” but thankfully, they realized they enjoyed making music together too much to let the band go just yet. But this time, they would have to conquer distance. Whereas modern tourism and Hayday were written in a flurry in their college town of Pittsburgh, Feeble Little Horse’s sophomore album was written whenever possible and across various cities as each member pursued their iteration of adult life. They’d share demos and ideas via group chat, and when possible they’d travel back to Pittsburgh to write and record in various people’s apartments (but mostly Sebastian’s). The result is a collection of songs that are detailed, conscientious, and most importantly, fun. 

Named for an inside joke about reimagining the titles of paintings they saw while walking around a museum, sophomore album Girl with Fish sees Feeble Little Horse shed almost all of their garage-rock influence in favor of their brand of sleek, carefully constructed noise-pop. The album opens with a barrage of oscillating guitar drone, before cutting to a simple chord progression and Lydia’s crystal, confident vocals: “I know you want me freak, sports star honey - be on my team.” Described by Lydia as an “energy drink [to] get through the album,” opener “Freak” is a short-but-sweet reminder of the band’s previous sound before they invite you into their new progression. 

After “Freak” are tracks “Tin Man” and “Steamroller;” the first and second singles off the album, respectively. “Tin Man” is a thematic return to Hayday songs like “Chores” and “Dog Song 2” that’s highlighted by a disjointed guitar riff and Lydia’s biting vocals. However, unlike the songs on their previous album, “Tin Man” sees Lydia rejecting her partner in earnest as opposed to nagging him or accepting her fate; a subtle show of the band’s increased maturity. “Steamroller” is a lingering, uncomfortable song that conveys anxieties surrounding one’s relationship with themselves in reference to their relationships with other people. With droning guitar progressions and melodic, understated vocals, the song gets under your skin and stays there, leaving you with a looming feeling of anxiety. Track four, “Heaven,” is a soft, introspective song about feeling overlooked and exhausted that serves as a rest stop for the A-side of the album (which is weird, considering that it was written on the same day as “Freak”). “Paces” builds on the aforementioned themes of anxiety by utilizing a looping rhythm section and deceptive stops and starts that keep you on your toes. “Sweet” functions as the perfect center of the 11-track album, combining the upbeat nature of the initial tracks with contemplative lyrics that are more reflective of a B-side. 

As opposed to Hayday, which featured heavy-hitter tracks like “Kennedy” and “Drama Queen” near the closer, Girl with Fish’s B-sides are much more wistful and melancholic. “Slide” and “Healing” detail feelings of being caught in an in-between– “Slide” in reference to a relationship and “Healing” in reference to change– with understated instrumentation and careful lyrics. The exception to this rule lies in the track “Pocket.” Originally conceived as a Garageband demo by Lydia and released on Soundcloud as “all my kisses and hugs are burning a hole in my pocket,” the band chose to rework it and the third Girl with Fish single was born. The final version of the track keeps the cyclical repetition of the original, but adds even more layers and even a section where Lydia screams “do you want to be in my pocket” with dazzling intensity. Closing songs “Station” and “Heavy Water” are a return to the sweeping instrumentation of songs like “Heaven” and “Healing” but with much more emotional intensity, leaving you staring at your ceiling and thinking about the brevity of it all. 

Feeble Little Horse’s charm lies most in the details. In their music, this translates as concise songs (only 5 are longer than 3 minutes) that turn into concise albums (they’ve yet to break 30 minutes). But in terms of how they make that music, that charm translates as a genuine effort to put friendship and creativity at the forefront. Although their songs might originate as one member’s idea, the final instrumentation and lyrics are always hashed out collaboratively (either via groupchat or in-person), and while Lydia takes primary vocal duties, each of the other three band members each take a turn on backing vocals throughout the album. They try to keep things as DIY as possible: Sebastian does the mixing for their work, Ryan acts as their band manager, and Lydia designs their album covers and merchandise. They frequently cite each other as the reason they choose to continue their work with this project, always reiterating some variation of “we keep each other grounded, and this is what we do for fun as a group of friends.” As for Girl with Fish specifically, its blender-slashed mix of pop/noise/garage rock/slowcore captures both your head and your heart with its earnest passion and endless charisma. With a sophomore effort this strong it’d be easy to say that I can’t wait to see what’s next, but frankly, I just want them to keep doing whatever they want. 

Additional References

Kate’s Fav Tracks

  • modern tourism

    • 15

    • down

    • 18 kids (Bandcamp only (EP is name your price))

  • Hayday

    • Termites

    • Chores

    • Picture

    • Kennedy

    • Drama Queen

    • Grace (Outro)

    • Dog Song 2

  • Girl with Fish

    • Freak

    • Tin Man

    • Steamroller

    • Paces

    • Sweet

    • Pocket

    • Station

Kate Widmer
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