Easy Sleeper’s Raucous and Melancholic Jangle Pop Single “Pleasure Thrills” is a Song About Pacing Yourself Instead of Burning Out

Easy Sleeper evokes a a deep sense of melancholic nostalgia and regret on “Pleasure Thrills.” Jangle-y guitar chords ring out with great spirit and then hang and linger accented by a subtle but strong bass line and framed by especially expressive percussion. The vocals weave a story and commentary about how in life there’s a lot of pressure to participate in pretense and competition under the misunderstanding that the choices offered to us are the only ones available and how maybe choosing a different path and way of being might be for the best. Lines like “Two conclusions pick the third one” suggest there’s always a different way of thinking. And the lines asking why you can’t just slow down or shut down instead of chasing after some dubious social reward sound like a call for not making decisions in haste and constantly living life like there’s a finish line. “You’ve only heard of meltdown,” that lyric concisely captures how a lot of people go through life catastrophizing when they crack periodically under their own self-imposed pressure, and who hasn’t at some point in their lives, when that could be bypassed by pacing oneself and forgoing imagined potential glory. The title may have another meaning completely but it fits how a life lived in bipolar fashion can seem exciting and fun but at what cost? Musically the song is reminiscent of 2000s indie pop and the kind of underground power pop that informed it with intricate melodies and raw yet tender moods. Listen to “Pleasure Thrills” on Spotify and follow Easy Sleeper at the links below. Look for the band’s next record due out in the fall.