Punk music still seems to be a suitable form of expression for young people to channel their frustration about an overly entertaining world. Amyl And The Sniffers combine anger with passion and hedonism in their music. Australian singer Amy Taylor addresses the climate crisis, the threat of AI, and the deception of digital participation on their third album.
„The future is cartoon… is a joke,“ says Taylor. The band approaches the impending apocalypse with a cheerful nihilism on „Cartoon Darkness.“ The album kicks off with classic punk vibes in „Jerk,“ where Taylor’s vocals exude joyful contempt reminiscent of 1978. While drawing inspiration from Poly Styrene (X-Ray Spex), Amyl And The Sniffers bring a whimsical and anachronistic punk delight to their music.
Aware that most riffs have been used and their musical vocabulary is limited, Amyl And The Sniffers strive for change through their skills. Tracks like „U Should Not Be Doing That“ confidently strut on glam rock paths. „Doing In Me Head“ channels early Arctic Monkeys, while „Pigs“ showcases an almost virtuosic guitar solo.
„Me And The Girls“ introduces disco-pop elements and vocoder vocals, while „Tiny Bikini“ playfully features Taylor singing in a Barbie-like voice about her love for light (swim)wear, unrelated to the male gaze. „Cartoon Darkness“ may be embraced by advocates of plastic feminism, who see signs of emancipation in the body, but for others, it remains a whimsical and anachronistic punk delight.
