Cut Along The Dotted Line

Flasher “Pressure”

“Pressure” sounds remarkably similar to some of the deeply obscure American indie/punk DIY singles collected on the old Homework CDR compilations from the early 2000s. It’s in the voice, it’s in the nervous energy, and especially in the way the melodies wind tightly around the rhythm and hooks seem to leap up slightly ahead of schedule. I love the lead guitar melody that punctuates the chorus – or maybe the better word is bisects it, since the song accelerates into another different chorus on the other side of it. I’m particularly fond of that one, especially the way the phrase “night to night suicide all of the time” spills out over the chords. The lyrics are basically words of empathy and support for someone struggling with anxiety and depression, but the tone isn’t dark or maudlin. It’s a very fun sort of commiseration and catharsis.

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