Review | Amyl and The Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness

Label: Rough Trade Records

By Pearse Connick

Three years after the release of their critically acclaimed sophomore album ‘Comfort to Me’, Australian punk band Amyl and The Sniffers have made a grand return with their new album ‘Cartoon Darkness’ serving as a promising reminder that this band does not mess around.

Each song oozes out the perfect mix of punchy vocals by lead singer Amy Taylor backed by instruments which provides a look at just how talented each member of the band is.  

The album kicks off in an unforgettable way, as the opening track ‘Jerkin’’ quickly bringing in the energy that the band are so well known for. After establishing the tone of the album, single ‘Chewing Gum’ comes in to carry that tone on nicely, with a chorus that has all the properties of a classic rock anthem and a brilliant guitar solo straight out of the prime guitar rock era. 

When ‘Tiny Bikini’ comes in, the obvious change in guitar tone is a solid indication that this song has its own thing going on. With a much funkier style of vocals, the track stands out as a bold move from the band but, unsurprisingly it is done to perfection here. 

One of my main highlights of the album comes with ‘Big Dreams’, where the lyricism of the band is shown at a whole new level, with the track serving as a relatable, coming of age song, showing a new intimacy.

The next two songs can be paired together well as they up the tempo again and display the full extent of the loud punk showcased earlier on. Both ‘It’s Mine’ and ‘Motorbike Song’ use every second of their short runtimes, with ‘It’s Mine’ being the shortest track on the album, to leave an impression and they do just that. 

There is a lot to be said about the lyricism shown in this album, and the three track run of ‘Doing In Me Head’, ‘Pigs’, and ‘Bailing On Me’ brings relationship troubles, unapologetic societal views and an honest take on issues. Whether it’s the loud cries of “We’re going nowhere” in ‘Pigs’ or the calmer heartbreak shown in ‘Bailing On Me’ these songs manage to show off the full extent of what the bands lyricism can accomplish. 

The final of the released singles in this album is ‘U Should Not Be Doing That’ and it brings with it an essence of empowerment, as well as bringing in Australian slang in the final chorus, crafting this rebellious feeling that perfectly sums up the band. 

‘Do It Do It’ and ‘Going Somewhere’ immediately struck me as songs which would be incredible live, with fast paced drums and lyrics that were built to be screamed by a crowd. Finally, ‘Me And The Girls’ ends of the album on a high, with elements of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Want To Have Fun’ but with a spin that only Amyl and The Sniffers could bring to it, tackling politics and issues that many fear speaking out against in the mainstream.  

‘Cartoon Darkness’ brings back Amyl and The Sniffers with a bang, in what is arguably their best work yet. This album will no doubt send the band to big new places on a whole new level and it’s nothing they don’t deserve.