As advertised, there is a lampooning smirk to this third outing from the Aussie four-piece. Across Cartoon Darkness, vocalist Amy Taylor’s ire aims at the naysayers and haters they've amassed since releasing 2019’s scuzzy pub-punk self-titled debut, and its more complete 2021 follow-up Comfort To Me. Wasting no time, they come in hot with "Jerkin'"'s fiery flippancy, that quickly becomes cutting the way Taylor wields it – hell is unleashed.
This defiance seems to only get stronger as Taylor – alongside drummer Bryce Wilson, guitarist Declan Martens, and bassist Gus Romer – plow onwards. Much like a scene from Mad Max; an array of sharp-edged tunes building with unbridled chaos and fire-starting anger. From “Jerkin’”’s aforementioned opening remarks and its The Stooges-channeling kickstart, to “Motorbike Song”’s unapologetic frenzied horniness, and “Doing In Me Head” rolling its eyes and lashing out at those who just won’t shut the fuck up, Cartoon Darkness seeks to double-down on everything they’ve been keenly astute at.
Yet, “Bailing On Me” proves there are holes in Taylor’s armour – and more to Amyl & The Sniffers. The quietly forlorn track reserves itself for a sullen side of Taylor (“Damn, here I go again / I’m heartbroken”). Moments like these, that proudly wear their etched-tat-heart on their sleeve (“Chewing Gum”, “Big Dreams”), lather up the speedy, smoke-billowing, breakneck punk jams around them. An effect "Bailing On Me" positions nicely for “U Should Not Be Doing That”. Its salacious groove – courtesy of Romer – feels like the peak everything before is building toward. We know Amyl & The Sniffers can do highway-caning punk, but being able to intersperse a critical takedown of cynics with a hook so infectiously catchy proves there is another angle to the Melbournites that, when unleashed, it creates something even more powerful than a well-timed sucker-punch.
However, seeing the album, and the rest of us, out is saved for “Me And The Girls”. As fine of an ending as any album needs, with a resounding Fuck You, there’s no overarching metaphor or overtly-complex artistic vision. Instead, bringing Cartoon Darkness to an eventual close, Taylor sneers, “Me and the girls are gonna go party / You and the boys can shut the fuck up”. That’s us told, then.
