Cartoon Darkness. Amyl and the Sniffers

I can't help but liking this album such a lot. Cartoon Darkness is simply too much fun. There's so much positive energy in, so many great melodies and shiny guitar solos on the album and then there's Amy Taylor. From the minute 'Jerking' starts I'm moving in my seat, if not dancing around the living room. Amyl and the Sniffers have come up with a dream of a punk rock album.

You can try to convince me that Amy's voice is horrible and sounds like a wining child or that the songs are too simple or whatever you have against this band and I will deny all allegations and denounce them till my last breath. Amyl and the Sniffers simply do not deserve this kind of criticism. It is the kind I run into here and there.

The Australian band came into my life with its previous, second album, 'Comfort To Me' in 2021.  I wrote at the time: "this album is one surge of energy that rages over me, with me enjoying every inch of the way". In part I can write this again. Most songs on Cartoon Darkness are raging punk songs. The other, smaller part is more introspective and shows that Amyl and the Sniffers have a different side to itself. The mix of songs work and show that the two sides fit the band.

The band rages hardest in 'It's Mine'. The studio ceiling must have been blown off during the recording of the song. Amy is spitting out her lyrics like a true punk singer has to. The band lays down such a dark mood and groove that clouds will gather on a sunny day out of nowhere. The rage remains but a positive melody is introduced in the next song 'Motorbike Song'. Here the Iggy & the Stooges influences, think 'Raw Power', shine through. The Sniffers show how good they can rock. Guitarist Declan Martens shows his chops playing great rhythm and escaping as soon as he can to show off his lead solos.

Looking at Wikipedia I see how many awards Amyl and the Sniffers has won in Australia for best band, best album, best live band. It says something about Australia, as a band like this would not even get nominated here, let alone win. It says even more about the band. To all appearances a lot of prizes can be collected after the release of Cartoon Darkness, as the album is better than 'Comfort To Me'. The band dares to go deeper and wider in a successful way. It is a punk(rock) force and shows to be capable of writing Blondie like punk ballads, if such a thing exists. Just listen to a song like 'Bailing On Me'. This song is spot on. (Blondie scored its first hit in Australia by the way in the spring (there) of 1977 with 'In The Flesh'.) Both are the kind of song that provides bands with a bigger audience.

To become huge several Amyl and the Sniffers songs are to uncompromising. Where I'm concerned the band excels in both. With the 90s punk bands out of existence or ageing, the title for best punk band is vacant pretty soon. I have identified the contender for the title best punk band in the world.

The band is in great form on Cartoon Darkness. And Amy?  Just listen how versatile her voice is and how much energy goes into the songs and then tell me again about those criticism. Cartoon Darkness is one of the best albums of 2024 to date. And there are quite a few very good ones, believe me.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

You can listen to and order Cartoon Darkness here:

https://amylandthesniffers.bandcamp.com/album/cartoon-darkness