Perfect Songs - The Pressure

I've written about Rachel Fannan several times here, and this was the first of her songs I heard and instantly loved, so it's time to make it official. Only You's "The Pressure" is not only one of my favorite songs of the last several years, it's fucking perfect.

That melancholy, twangy intro, that feels almost like something out of a Spaghetti Western romance with a sad ending, sets a mood that is only strengthened by the mix of things that come up in the rest of song. You can feel the hair stand up on your arms and neck when that moment of fuzzy distortion hits taking us from that lonely desert to whatever smokey chamber of despair Rachel is screaming inside of. There are elements of 80s new wave, more 60s guitar twang, and an overwhelming sense of haze that can't be denied, since the whole thing obviously "came from the smoke rings around your hair." The strange sound effects and distortions throughout add a perfect amount of psych instability that heightens the anxiety of Rachel's impassioned anguish over unrequited love, infidelity or just the general drama of love. I'm not even that concerned with the literal lyrics, because this is all about mood and atmosphere and energy that bubbles around this amazing voice, unleashed from within your deepest whatever to surprise you with a confession of some kind that the whole world will have to deal with. Listen to this anytime, but I particularly have enjoyed this when driving alone at night. It goes well with empty highways and wandering thoughts.