The ‘difficult second album’ is oft-discussed in rock music, but the third album can be just as bothersome. Oasis’ Be Here Now was so overwrought, for example, that it essentially ended the halcyon Britpop era.
On Cartoon Darkness, Amyl and the Sniffers suffer no such problem. The Melbourne punks sound more mature and in control than ever before on their third record, displaying boundless energy and fierce ambition.
The scope, in every sense, is heightened, from the expansive sound to the incisive songwriting. Nothing is off the table lyrically, these 11 tracks taking on the climate crisis, war, the rise of AI, and the frailty of modern politics with passion and verve. Leading from the front throughout is Amy Taylor, who remains one of the most formidable lead singers of the 2020s.
Cartoon Darkness is the album that should cement Amyl’s standing as the pre-eminent Australian rock band of their generation.
Stream: Amyl and the Sniffers, Cartoon Darkness
This article features in the December-February 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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