I can confirm that they have. The album is half an hour of screaming joy with the odd slow ballad thrown in, and the overall effect is beautiful. It’s brash, it’s loud, it’s completely unafraid of anything. It’s spitting in the face of people who want to control and oppress, with songs like 'Tiny Bikini', 'It’s Mine' and their May single 'U Should Not Be Doing That' putting a humorous face on serious issues. It goes through every emotion, from confidence to self-doubt, making it a deeply human sounding album. The influences are myriad – you can see elements of the classic riot grrrl, but also of rock bands like AC/DC.
The opening track 'Jerkin’' is now up there with my top ten opening tracks. Amy Taylor spends two minutes dressing down the men who have criticised her, singing “You are just a critic / and you want to hit it”. A personal favourite of the album that I feel must be mentioned is Big Dreams, a heart wrenching ballad slipped in between 'Tiny Bikini' and 'It’s Mine', making it feel like a break from the craziness. While most of the songs on the album take the form of bold shouting punk, 'Big Dreams' is something of a departure from that. A grunge riff serves as the spine of the song, as Amy Taylor sings about the struggles of having dreams in this world, and how hard it is to fulfil them, something I think a lot of people can resonate with.
There’s no doubt that Amyl and the Sniffers are at the top of their game right now, and I cannot wait to see where they go next.
