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Nov 20, 2024 Web Exclusive By Matt the Raven

Cartoon Darkness, the third album by Australian punkers Amyl and The Sniffers, is a raucous affair that attempts to take their punk rock hijinks to a new level. Aiming for a balance of fortitude and frivolity, the punk rock rhythms are well-played with an honest raw energy and quick-paced chord progressions, while often straddling the line between chaos and comfort.

The album plays like a roller coaster ride through a twisted carnival. It’s raw and unapologetic, with moments of both exhilaration and unhinged imperfections, but also quite fun at times. Each song is a vignette, a glimpse into the absurdity of modern existence told through the lens of lead singer Amy Taylor, whose voice is more gritty than glamorous, with a crackling intensity and emotional delivery.

At their best, Amyl and The Sniffers prove they’re not just a novelty punk band. With ramped up tempo shifts, nifty guitar riffs, bouncy counter-rhythms, and playful harmonies, standout tracks such as album opener “Jerkin’”, along with “Tiny Bikini” and lead single “U Should Not Be Doing That” sound like classic punk anthems yet are resolutely contemporary and are executed with a finesse that elevates punk to something more transcendent.

Elsewhere, the band take a couple of left turns with the slower and tamer “Big Dreams” and “Bailing On Me.” Neither seems to fit neatly into the The Sniffers wheelhouse and the attempt to innovate on their proven formula falls a bit short. Meanwhile, the thrilling and frenetic pace of “Pigs” and “Motorbike Song” wears thin when the songs don’t offer much in the way of depth or development.

Cartoon Darkness has moments that shine while capturing the essence of rebellion and raw emotion with reflection, silliness and fun, but it’s also weighted down with equal measures of harsh and hectic, rendering it a mixed bag of splendor and skronk. (www.amylandthesniffers.com)

Author rating: 6/10