Do Nothing – ‘Snake Sideways’ review: spritely post-punk packed with melody

30 June, 2023

do nothing

In late 2019, a new, fully-formed voice arrived into the ranks of UK post-punk. Do Nothing’s ‘LeBron James’ was a bolt from the blue, a single with such a swinging, serrated edge and wry point of view that stardom seemed a lock. It was, however, followed by a period of silence, a time in which the Nottingham band opted to take a break to refocus. After what was, in their words, “a creative stutter”, they now return with their debut album ‘Snake Sideways’, presenting a newly introspective version of themselves.

The subtle shifts are on immediate display on album opener ‘Nerve’, where the Nottingham band’s sharp electric shards have been softened, now dappled with strains of Kasper Sandstrom’s acoustic guitar. “They’re gonna fire you in the morning / Why don’t you finish what you started?” sings frontman Chris Bailey, articulating a sense of insecurity and self-doubt.

Lead single ‘Happy Feet’ bears the band’s original calling card, with angular, danceable riffs and often hilarious lyrical quirks that somehow find connections between grind-excluding mouth guards and drinking bleach. At the same time, the track is a collage of disaffection: “Don’t freak out if you don’t know what you’re doing / I don’t either,” Bailey signs off, earnestly.

‘Amoeba’ boasts the album’s most distinctive earworm in the form of its warped guitar riff, and again, Bailey is on contemplative form. “We’re all just waiting around / For you to wake up and let us all down,” he sings; the track’s enigmatic charm proves that Bailey is not the only member of the group that deserves to be compared to The Fall.

There are signs of musical evolution to the band’s sound now, such as the disconcerting line of static that hisses through ‘Snake Sideways’, or the bed of digital production that underpins ‘Fine’. The harpsichord flourish in ‘Hollywood Learn’ is another enhancement that suggests richer rewards in the future if they continue to follow their instincts.

The freshness that electrified ‘LeBron James’, though, is no longer so obvious, with its striding conviction now somewhat smoothed over. It remains to be seen whether Do Nothing can use the solid foundations of ‘Snake Sideways’ as a launching pad to ascend to the giddy heights of their initial promise.