Feeble Little Horse Pushes Limits with 'Girl with Fish'

Written by Peter Garcia, Photo by Micah E Wood

Feeble Little Horse self-describe as a “lame, Pittsburgh-based band,” but with their sophomore album, the guitar-centric group expands their already impressive repertoire of droning and ethereal projects. Girl with Fish, released June 9th on Saddle Creek Records, falls in the sweet spot between welcoming acoustic and deafening distortion, proving that a two-year gap since their debut release only gave the band time to refine their sound further. With everything from fuzzy, diode-charged guitar tones to bright synth atmospheres and electronic flourishes, this record is an exciting take on alternative rock and pop that elevates a wall-of-noise style through unfamiliar textures and expert songwriting. 

The band's story began in 2010 at the University of Pittsburgh when ​​freshman guitarist Seb connected with Ryan through mutual friends and joined his band. The two started writing together, recording ideas at Ryan's apartment on Fridays while his roommate, Jake, laid down drums. At the same time, Seb met Lydia while hanging out around campus, and the two collaborated remotely. A few months later, Seb invited singer Lydia to feature on one of Ryan's songs at the apartment as they wrapped up their debut Hayday and Feeble Little Horse as we know it was born. 

From the get-go, Lydia coaxes us in with a disinterested but intense tone. “Freak” sets the tone instrumentally and thematically with a sliding autotuned vocal that laments, “How can you be satisfied? She's five-foot-one, and you're six-foot-five!” The musical depth only extends from here, as “Tin Man” features wonky percussion over a catchy acoustic guitar line before screaming feedback brings in a white-noisy pop chorus with a barely recognizable, screaming lead guitar. One of the lead singles, “Steamroller,” is next, chock full of shoegaze nostalgia from Seb and Ryan and witty lyricism from Lydia. It’s easily one of the highest points on the album, charged with emotion and a haunting melody as the only chorus.

The album can only be described as dynamic. It’s first granular and chaotic, tremendously harsh on the ear at points. As you dive deeper, tracks like “Heaven,” “Paces,” and “Slide” feature 80s synth arpeggios, sea-sickening tape machines, and even classic fast-paced drum breaks, all tweaked to match the band’s noisy, ambient, and lo-fi style of pop and rock. On a handful of the songs at the back half of the album, Jake switches into a pounding halftime rhythm that makes me want to throw my hair around every single time. 

At just under 30 minutes, Girl with Fish is short and easily digestible for fans of noisy rock and alternative. Its catchy guitar leads and competent writing makes it also perfect for pop enthusiasts looking for a new band to expand their interests. With this project, Feeble Little Horse has displayed their boundless range, from misty acoustic soundscapes to raucous choruses. Spotify says they're only available for “funerals, wakes, and any equestrian events,” but I’m on the lookout for a headline tour this fall!