Pharaohs - Squashed Against My Wall

Essentially, ‘Squashed Against My Wall’, notwithstanding any discernible undertones, is a song about the eventual killing of an “Irritable” moth. The fleeting providence of the theme, however, is fortunately retorted by the intricacy of its audible execution, an expected fixture from a band relatively famed for tuneful illustrations of several everyday nuances.

Rob Leary’s post-punk tarnished percussion is at the hilt of what is ultimately a tutorial in fervour, inducing, along with Joe Steven’s equally brusque guitar, the bald-faced tone of the chorus. The remainder of the track, however, is very much pre-meditated: aligned riffs, calculated, alternating fret playing and melodies are executed with geometric precision. Percussion, accordingly, is far more meticulous, accommodating the altruism of the bass and incidental harmonies between Stevens and Jonny Lewis, a youthful vocal curve assuming the prevalence of the sedated acoustic rendition of the track.

The end result is a fatalistic, accessible and somewhat refreshing lack of pretence, an ethos likely to endure in the hands of people as prolific as Pharaohs.