The Amyl and the Sniffers Albums Ranked
My wife is way more dialed into hip, lesser-known bands than me. But she was even put to shame when her father, a then-50-something American dude (who admittedly is a musician himself with a lot of ’80s New York punk experience), discovered an exciting EP from this new Australian band called Amyl and the Sniffers. In the years since that EP (2016’s GIDDY UP), the raw energy of the Melbourne-based group has seemed to catch on exponentially. Indeed, I saw the band live for their American headlining tour this year with my wife and the in-laws, which was an awesome experience. Amyl and the Sniffers are hands down one of the most exciting bands to come up within the past few years. In the five years since 2019, they’ve released three albums, which I’ll write about here (omitted from this list is the aforementioned GIDDY UP and the 2017 EP BIG ATTRACTION, although they are certainly worth listening to).
#3 — AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS (2019)
Favorite track: “Gacked on Anger”
Amyl and the Sniffers’ genre has been described as “pub rock,” which feels so right. The Australian accent is very much present in frontwoman Amy Taylor’s screaming voice. But as can be heard immediately on their self-titled debut album, I also hear so many touchstones of American hardcore punk of the ’80s such as Black Flag. That the band isn’t just some cheap emulation of “oldies” is obviously apparent on AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS. Its brief and powerful songs follow in that tradition, but Taylor’s specific and clever lyricism and the tight, hook-laden song structure is so satisfying. AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS is a powerful debut, but what’s even more impressive is that the band improved on it in short order.
#2 — COMFORT TO ME (2021)
Favorite track: “Security”
COMFORT TO ME is certainly no sophomore slump. Amyl and the Sniffers’ second album ups the ante with even more caustic lyrics and commentary and slight deviations in the “formula” set forth by their debut. Punk music is often derided for being the same thing over and over again, but this band has avoided that cliche while delivering a reliable anger that trades with or even meets a distinct playfulness. You can hear that in Taylor’s voice but also the swerving riffs of guitarist Declan Mehrtens, best represented by “Security” on COMFORT TO ME. Amyl and the Sniffers have proven to be morbidly hilarious and this song exemplifies that, while a track like “Knifey” bounces with a catchiness in its chorus that creates an irony around its darkly real lyrical content. There’s a menace to all of the Amyl and the Sniffers releases, but COMFORT TO ME balances that with sheer pleasure even more effectively than their debut.
#1 — CARTOON DARKNESS (2024)
Favorite track: “Bailing on Me”
I’d like to think recency bias isn’t affecting me, but as you can see, I feel relatively straightforward about the direction Amyl and the Sniffers has been heading. Their sure improvement with each record release is astonishing to witness, especially since it all started so strong anyways! It would be a bit cliche and reductive but also a bit true to call CARTOON DARKNESS the band’s most “mature” album yet. Its treatment of current events and more recognizably earnest and self-reflective lyrics would imply some kind of “growing up,” but more than that, the band musically advances the complexity of their most rocking tracks while including a couple of detours. For example, Taylor laments with a much lower register over a chiller groove on “Bailing on Me,” my personal favorite. “Tiny Bikini,” on the other hand, comes close to that favorite status for totally different reasons. Taylor’s voice from the jump has been relatively high-pitched, but the exaggerated persona she projects on a number of songs on CARTOON DARKNESS is a different vocal approach, which was more straightforwardly “scream-y” on the previous two records. The album is not some sudden exploration of brand new genres or a reduction of the band’s wonderfully crass and overwhelming punk energy. But of their relatively small discography so far, CARTOON DARKNESS best showcases Amyl and the Sniffers’ particular talents and how they’re evolving them to even more resonant effect.
