Fans have been on a growth journey with Amy Shark since 2018 thanks to her captivating pieces of textured and tortured hit singles. We swooned with her on “Adore” and “Everybody Rise”, we conjured our own guilty past indiscretions on “Mess Her Up”, we gave the industry a collective side-eye on “I Said Hi”, and we all cry-danced to “Psycho”.
Now, with third record Sunday Sadness, Amy makes it clearer than ever that she is one of Australia’s most remarkable pop songwriters.
From the opening guitar line of lead-in track “Slide Down The Wall”, a saccharine blend of dirty percussion and vivid storytelling; to the petty suburban angst of “Gone” — the ultimate grudge-holder; to instant classic “Babe”, Amy Shark has a unique ability to write global-sounding hits without following a formulaic structure.
Her most memorable musical notes often don’t come from her guitar. It’s the sound of her voice singing “Coo coo ca choo” on album standout “Two Friends” — a nod to Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, and the ‘everything will be alright’ era of music. It’s the way she belts out the word “gone” in the track of the same name. And the production flourishes from her black book of producer greats like Kid Harpoon, Joel Little, Dann Hume, and Matt Corby.
If she’s still in fact dining from the table of her inception story with now-husband Shane, it feels as flaming and all-encompassing as a new crush. Falling in love may not be for the weak, but despite the agony in these songs and the consequences for those left in her wake, Amy makes you want to chase it down for yourself.
Amy Shark has always been led by vulnerability, but what places Sunday Sadness in the lead of her long-player canon is that it feels more seductive than its predecessors. From glorious guitar lines to brain-tickling production elements, to her most quotable lyrics yet, Amy sounds more aware than ever of the chokehold she has over pop.
Stream: Amy Shark, Sunday Sadness
This review features in the September-November 2024 issue of Rolling Stone AU/NZ. If you’re eager to get your hands on it, then now is the time to sign up for a subscription.
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