Bacchanalia Magazine

by Hannah Pirie

Debut single ‘The Pressures of the Heart’ from Dublin based creative ‘Annie-Dog’ released on the 28th of February. The mesmerising track manages to blend a plethora of genres into a unique yet angelic sound, the lyrics and production managing to mirror each individual influence upon the track whilst still developing Annie-Dogs own new sound.

The song opens with a beat reminiscent of the ever growing genre of ‘breakcore’ overlaid with powerful and punchy guitar managing to merge the modern musical scene with a feeling of nostalgia for the whimsical rock music of the 90’s. Such emotions are amplified by the accompanying music video, which opens in what seems to be an alleyway with effects reminiscent of 2000’s digital cameras. The opening to the music video in conjunction with the song creates a feeling of nostalgia and relatability to the track from the get go, which is then artistically woven throughout ‘The pressures of the heart’ through both the interpersonal lyrics and beautifully chaotic music video.

The phantasmagoric yet ethereal vocals kick in – beginning with ‘there is water in wyoming. I am waiting on a call back.’. These lyrics can be viewed on cards in the music video – such a a scene invokes a feeling of nostalgia as it is reminiscent of something from a 2000’s rom-com whilst magnifying the fractured view of romance that is presented through the song itself , allowing listeners to feel truly connected with Annie-Dog almost as if viewing life from her perspective.

The pre chorus lyrics display a familiar sense of desperation , refusing to acknowledge the half empty glass of life. A dreamlike harmony is created on the lyric ‘i like you’, contrasting the guitar and harsh production that follows – portraying the conflicting and brutal emotions of the human mind. Annie-Dog repeats the titular lyric ‘I can’t take the pressures of the heart’ the echoing effect places the listener within the story allowing the confusion of heartbreak to feel more and more personal as the song continues.

At this point in the music video a small fire erupts , this imagery is seen throughout the music video through the close up shots of Annie-Dog’s face with a warm tint that mirrors the heat of the fire. This scene is powerful as it allows the true extent of emotion to be seen , likening the ‘pressures of the heart’ to an ever growing fire , inescapable yet inevitable. The beautiful imagery also manages to capture the essence of Annie-Dog as an artist , whilst incredibly engaging and striking it also manages to show the creativity required by DIY artists such as Annie-Dog , the poignant yet almost simplistic nature of the music video shows how truly talented she is , as she manages to create emotional scenes in the most simplistic of sets , only managing to further embrace this feeling throughout the lyrical and vocal components of the song.

‘That summer I had mono -No, no !’. I found this the most impactful lyric of the entire track , likening the all encompassing emotions of being love sick to that of a disease , the desperation and fear of such strong emotions all condensed into a single lyric. These intimate feelings are then shattered in the music video , breaking up the song with the sound of an alarm and visuals of Annie-Dog causing destruction – this visual and auditory representation of a broken heart manages to capture the physical sensations of heartbreak , whilst also creating an image of moving on and acceptance at the loss of love.

The track comes to a close once again with the repetition of the titular lyric , Annie-Dog states that she can’t take the pressures of the heart ‘ever again’ , this is paired with a particularly impactful shot of Annie-Dog walking away. The ending of the music video and song manages to summarise the acceptance of lost love faced, creating a strong sense of finality for the listener allowing them to also feel as if they are moving on with both life and love with Annie-Dog. Overall the track is an emotional and dreamlike retelling of heartbreak, incredibly relatable to any listener, Annie-Dog’s talent is evident and I cannot wait to see how such talent will only progress in the future.