Building on the success of their lauded debut single ‘Numb Again’, Amy Katt returns with a follow up in the form of ‘The Things You Did’. The track is urgent and fresh as its rips across its two-and-a-half-minute run time. Built around Amy’s signature vocals, walls of abrasive synths and molasses thick guitars help tear up the rule book as Amy and long time collaborator Sam Hargraves splice genre and sounds to create a unique and contemporary track. Amy doesn’t shy away from confrontation in her lyrics, taking aim at those who might exploit or undervalue a partner in a relationship. The entire track feels like a lightning rod for catharsis, as demons are exorcised and finally laid to rest while Amy hold those accountable.
Amy’s vocals punctuate and soar in equal measure while she vents her considerable spleen against the ghost of toxic partner. The emotion expressed throughout is matched only by the power of her vocals, as she intones “I can see it in your eyes” it’s an incredible vocal performance. Sam’s impossibly crunchy guitars cut through the track, reminiscent of Wes Borland’s genre defining tone combined with Liam Howlett’s (Prodigy) approach of percussive yet melodic playing. Similarly, Sam’s drums propel the track forward with a kick drum that sounds like your head is in the drums and a snare that sounds like a bomb going off. The subtle and not so subtle synths and keys that are layered into the track provide some melodic ear candy, some single key passages add tension to the track.
‘The Things You Did’ takes the world created on ‘Numb Again’ and expands upon it exponentially, everything feels like a progression. Something the band were keen to do, conscious of not repeating themselves but wanting to maintain the energy and personality which is central to the band. They pushed themselves further into new sonic territory adding drum machines, samples, pads and delving deeper into the world of synths.