Amyl and the Sniffers roar back with the double-barreled blast "U Should Not Be Doing That" / "Facts"
Perpetual road warriors Amyl and the Sniffers took the world by storm with their breakthrough 2021 LP Comfort To Me, a muscular slab of hard-driving punk injected with just as much brains as brawn and a furiously beating rebel heart. While hardly silent since then, the band roars back with a double-barreled blast of new music with "U Should Not Be Doing That" / "Facts," reinforcing their position at the forefront of the hard rock pack.
“U Should Not Be Doing That” opens with a funky stomp and staccato swagger that instantly sets the track apart from the band’s previous output, signaling a creative expansion that draws from a wider palette of influences. Wailing saxophone and jagged guitar trade barbs in the back half, but the tempo remains midrange throughout, placing a greater emphasis on the maintaining the beat rather than whipping the composition into an unhinged frenzy.
Standing tall above the groove, Amy Taylor describes her myriad of global conquests and subsequent shenanigans in a matter-of-fact tone that recognizes that “not everybody makes it out alive when they are young.” It’s a carpe-diem manifesto that ultimately gets held back by the nagging voice of imposter syndrome internalized as the armchair commentary of judgey townies jealous of her runaway successes. Taylor does her damnedest to push beyond the negativity, but the overall cadence of the track and lyrical delivery feels hesitant, reflective of the self doubt that creeps in along the fringes of even the most outwardly confident of personas. “U Should Not Be Doing That” takes a little effort to unpack, but the core of the track stands true to Amyl and the Sniffers’ tenants of self-reliance and individuality, opening up the next phase of the band’s journey into deeper levels of insight and experimentation.
The band shifts into gear on the B-side with “Facts,” a frenetic return to the high-energy pub-punk that defined their early success. Every element is cranked past 11, all pounding drums and ripping guitar and piledriving bass coalescing into a maelstrom of furious electricity perfectly suited for unhinged mosh pit hedonism. Taylor howls above the din proclaiming a steadfast commitment to the cause, hellbent to see this adventure through to the end because when you’ve come so far, so fast there’s no turning back.
“U Should Not Be Doing That” / “Facts” is available on limited 7” vinyl here. Stream the singles on Spotify and follow Amyl and the Sniffers on Instagram.
Upcoming Shows
MAY 23, 2024 - Bearded Theory - South Derbyshire District, UK - TICKETS
MAY 27, 2024 - Scala - London, United Kingdom - TICKETS
MAY 30, 2024 - Primavera Sound - Barcelona, Sant Adrià de Besòs - TICKETS
JUN 1, 2024 - Freak Valley - Netphen, Germany - TICKETS
JUN 3, 2024 - Theatres Romains De Fourviere - Lyon, France - TICKETS
JUN 4, 2024 - Le Bikini - Ramonville-Saint-Agne, Occitanie - TICKETS
JUN 6, 2024 - NOS Primavera Sound Festival - Porto, Porto District - TICKETS
JUN 8, 2024 - Northside Festival - Aarhus, Denmark - TICKETS
JUN 9, 2024 - Best Kept Secret - Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands - TICKETS
JUL 19, 2024 - Citi Field - New York, NY - TICKETS
JUL 20, 2024 - White Eagle Hall - Jersey City, NJ - TICKETS
JUL 21, 2024 - Fenway Park - Boston, MA - TICKETS
JUL 23, 2024 - Hersheypark Stadium - Hershey, PA - TICKETS
JUL 25, 2024 - The Majestic Theatre - Detroit, MI - TICKETS
JUL 28, 2024 - Underground Music Showcase - Denver, CO - TICKETS
JUL 30, 2024 - Granada Theater - Lawrence, KS - TICKETS
JUL 31, 2024 - Mercury Ballroom - Louisville, KY - TICKETS
AUG 1, 2024 - HI-FI Annex - Indianapolis, IN - TICKETS
AUG 3, 2024 - Asbury Hall - Buffalo, NY - TICKETS
AUG 5, 2024 - Higher Ground - South Burlington, VT - TICKETS
AUG 7, 2024 - Pioneer Courthouse Square - Portland, OR - TICKETS
AUG 9, 2024 - BMO Stadium - Los Angeles, CA - TICKETS
AUG 13, 2024 - The Sound at Del Mar - Del Mar, CA - TICKETS
AUG 14, 2024 - The Fonda Theatre - Los Angeles, CA - TICKETS
AUG 15, 2024 - The Fonda Theatre - Los Angeles, CA - TICKETS