Amyl and the Sniffers take on fame and identity in “Cartoon Darkness”
Bailee Isackson is a content writer and photographer for KCPR. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang Media Group.
Aussie pub-punk revivalists Amyl and the Sniffers released their third album, “Cartoon Darkness,” on October 25, opening up the four-piece to a new era of sonic experimentation.
Vocalist Amy Taylor and her flatmates began composing music in their Balaclava apartment, writing their EP, “Giddy Up,” in a mere 12 hours. The band has come a long way since its 2016 debut, now opening for the likes of Foo Fighters and selling out venues worldwide.
“Cartoon Darkness” ushers in a maturation of sorts for the Sniffers as the album includes some of their most versatile material yet, with “Big Dreams” and “Bailing On Me,” songs that are best described as melodic ballads on aging, success and heartbreak.
However, their music still drips with beer-soaked classic punk and rock, citing bands like Iggy Pop and the Stooges, AC/DC, The Damned and Minor Threat as influences. Tayor’s Poly Styrene-esque while endlessly hyper and Aussie vocals cut through the mess of it all, leaving listeners hooked.
In true Amy Taylor fashion, the album opens with the snarling and vulgar yet tongue-in-cheek track “Jerkin.” As she calls attention to the misogynistic critics who simultaneously manage to objectify her body and criticize her unapologetically strong stage presence, Taylor sings, “Last time I checked/I got success/’Cause the losers are online and they are obsessed, typin’/They be on my pictures having wipin’, d**k hole/ I be on the internet killing it all/They like all my outfits and hate my success.”
“Cartoon Darkness” presents a new depth to the Sniffers’ music, shifting away from songs about munchies and pub security, and refocusing on the trials of female fame and adult life.
Songs like “Doing In Me Head” and single “You Should Not Be Doing That” hone in on aspects of female life and the external pressures of existing in the public sphere with lyrics like:
“Another person saying I’m not doing it right/Another person tryna give me some kinda internal fight/But I’m working on my worth, I’m working on my work, I’m working on who I am…I know my worth, I’m not the worst, you told me once I was” (“You Should Not Be Doing That”.)
Even the silliest tracks like “Tiny Bikini,” with lyrics like, “Ooh, I just wanna wear my bikini/Ugh, I just wanna wear my shorts/Eh, there’s too many snags at the party/Eh, so I’m just gonna walk,” are a direct jab at slut-shamers and misogynistic critics.
The Sniffer’s “Cartoon Darkness” World Tour is set to begin on January 16 in the Southern Australian city of Adelaide. The band will cover ground from South America, the United States, Canada and the EU, finishing up in London with their last date on November 15. The album is available on all major streaming platforms and should be blasted on full volume in your bedroom while getting ready for a night out.
