Since their (recorded in one afternoon!) debut EP, Giddy Up in 2016, Amyl and The Sniffers have captured the attention of music fans and critics all over the world. Front woman Amy Taylor brings hyper energy, spurred on by the tough inner city punk rock of her fellow members Gus Romer (bass), Bryce Wilson (drums) and Declan Martens (guitar).
Cartoon Darkness dropped on 25 October and is on all platforms and Bandcamp. Be advised there is a language warning on many songs.
In the eight years since they came together in Melbourne’s sticky pub-rock scene, Amyl and the Sniffers have become masters of balancing power and playfulness. With two critically acclaimed albums under their belt – 2019’s self-titled debut and 2021’s visceral ‘Comfort To Me’ – they have achieved something unique and remarkable.
Their attitude – bigger, brighter, smarter, sharper – is fuelling their third album, ‘Cartoon Darkness’. Recorded with producer Nick Launay at Foo Fighters’ 606 Studios in Los Angeles, on the same desk that captured Nirvana’s Nevermind and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, the latest Amyl offering is full of surprises. Musically, Mehrtens, Romer and Wilson have written The Sniffers’ most diverse album yet. It stretches from classic punk to the glammy strut of recent single ‘U Should Not Be Doing That’ to the stormy balladry of ‘Big Dreams’ and beyond. “Cartoon Darkness is driving head first into the unknown, into this looming sketch of the future that feels terrible, but doesn’t even exist yet. A childlike darkness,” says Amy Taylor. “I don’t want to meet the devil half-way and mourn what we have right now. The future is cartoon, the prescription is dark, but it’s novelty. It’s just a joke. It’s fun.”