At the end of my work week I was feeling tired and overwhelmed, but music was there to save the day again. In this case, it was a concert by a band called Boy Golden. I don’t have a Boy Golden album review today (I just bought it last night from the merch table) but I will say that if you get a chance to see them in concert, do it. The show was solid from beginning to end, with great musicianship, great songwriting and a natural stage presence.
Disc 1683 is…Self-Titled
Artist: Amyl and the Sniffers
Year of Release: 2019
What’s up with the Cover? Amy Taylor’s disembodied head screams with wild abandon, her band members arrayed around her. Two thirds of the band are shirtless; three-quarters if you count the cherub. There is no knowing whether Taylor is wearing a shirt. Her head is unadorned.
How I Came To Know It: After my friend Nick introduced me to the band I purchased Amyl and the Sniffer’s 2021 album, “Comfort to Me” (reviewed back at Disc 1628). I loved it, and shortly after reviewing it went out and bought their self-titled debut.
How It Stacks Up: This is a good record, but “Comfort to Me” is in a class of its own. As a result, the self-titled effort can only manage #2.
Rating: 4 stars
Amyl and the Sniffers is an angry band, but it is a joyous and glorious anger that feels very freeing, particularly at high volumes. I’m not sure you can even listen to these raunchy Australian punks at low volumes and in any event, I didn’t attempt it.
Amyl and the Sniffers are punk in its purest form. Here on their self-titled debut they don’t have the same production values as “Comfort to Me” but for most fans of punk “great production” is not what you’re looking for.
What most fans of punk want is a raw and honest experience with a whole lot of guitar and a minimum of melody. If that sounds right, then this album is for you. From the opening notes, the whole record hits you like a high-speed car crash. Amy Taylor has punk rock in her bones, with a vocal style similar to Poly Styrene. It isn’t accurate to say Taylor pays homage to that tradition, so much as she’s mainlining it; a direct tap into the river of fury that is traditional punk rock.
Song topics are what you might expect from this sound, with plenty of visceral shouting and song titles like “Gacked on Anger” and “GFY” that are about exactly what you’d expect. The former being that quivering rage we all feel when we are pressed for time, money or both. The latter being directing that anger outward at the world’s idiots and assholes.
There are some traditional blues riffs mixed in (“Monsoon Rock” being a good example) but mostly this is just straight ahead no frills/no chaser rock and roll. And while it would be easy to be sloppy with this kind of music, the band is tight to the cause. Yes they are leaning hard into the corners, and yes you can feel the front tire of these tunes wobbling a bit under the strain of the tempo, but the band are all synced up, and the chopper never topples.
They also play together as a band well, and while the production is very low-fi, the instruments are even in the mix. Yes, Taylor’s vocals are the star of the show, but she isn’t over-amped, she’s just part of the overall wall of sound coming at you.
As years pass it gets harder and harder to tap into the joyous rebellion of youth. That’s OK – I am comfortable with being a responsible member of my community. But every now and then you’ve got to let that inner beast out to roam around and snarl a little. Listening to Amyl and the Sniffers shout out loud will give you exactly what you need. Just remember to turn it up for best effect.
Best tracks: Gacked on Anger, GFY, Angel, Monsoon Rock, Control
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