Amyl & The Sniffers – ‘Comfort To Me’ (Rough Trade Records / ATO Records)

Amyl & The Sniffers – ‘Comfort To Me’ (Rough Trade Records / ATO Records)

Late in 2020, Amyl and The Sniffers went into the studio with producer Dan Luscombe to record their sophomore album, ‘Comfort To Me’ and so entered Covid 19, much like the story that is being written all over the globe. Some bands began to put their feet up and ride it out and some bands knuckled down taking the opportunity to start writing some new tunes for a new album and seeing the pandemic as just something they have to deal with, an obstacle of how to record remotely or outside of the box.

Amyl &The Sniffers are no different to everybody else in that respect, maybe, some would say with a more primitive, feral sound perhaps they had a jump start on many others but it’s taken 18 months to get this record to the shops.

Not just being an Aussie band the Sniffers have been all over the globe since 2019 touring their debut and have expanded the gene pool they’re fishing in and it shows on this new album.  ‘Comfort To Me’ is still the same beast but with more clothes on figuratively speaking of course.  Written over a long year of lockdown, the album has more Hard Rockin’ influences to the fore, old-school rock’n’roll (AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, Motörhead and Wendy O Williams are there for all to hear but it’s more than that the Cosmic Psychos loom large in their influence), There is also the powerful throb of hardcore like the compelling ‘Choices’ but their tip of the hat to fellow Oz underdogs the Cosmic Psychos on ‘Security’  Lyrically,  it is captivating and Amy does have plenty of energy in her vocals.

 

Sure singing about fighting, lust, booze, chaos and a whole lot more besides she’s looking for love for gawds sake on ‘Security’ and the filthy bass throb on ‘Knifey’ shows a departure with a measured sleazy slog talking about social issues as the menacing tempo slowly grinds through the gears adding a new edge to the bands arsenal and I like it.

 

The opener is inspirational as they are ‘Guided By Angels’ but it leads into ‘Freaks To The Front’ and from the thuggish Bass riff we’re taken around the back and given a good seeing to and throwing the C Bomb isn’t something you often get to hear even on an anti-social punk rock record but here it seems wholly appropriate as the band grab you by the face and shake the listener around for a bit. What a stonking introduction to ‘Comfort To Me’.

 

‘Comfort To Me’ is unapologetic and leading the way in feral punk rock n roll where they don’t seemingly give a flying fuck if you like them or now because they’re playing the songs they’d love to hear in some late-night bar and anyone who’s seen them live can testify that hearing some of these songs like ‘Maggot’ with its melody and Captain Sensible style solo is excellent and full of hidden gems showing themselves if you invest the time to play this record the respect it thoroughly deserves – the rewards are plentiful and as far as writing and recording a little better each and every time you enter a studio then Amyl & The Sniffers are winning.  This is a notch up from the debut and the variety is here and when the band are rocking out in full flight its a thing of real beauty, ‘Capital’ is a beast of a track, and ‘Don’t Need A Cunt (Like You To Love Me)’ is a tip of the hat to Lemmy and Venom at their raucous best if they were punk as fuck. Regardless of the controversial title, it’s a blast and guaranteed to leave one’s ears ringing.

 

Before the record signs off Amyl gives ‘Laughing’ a good seeing to and puts down her line in the sand and be warned not to cross it.  RPM isn’t laughing at Her we’re laughing with her and tunes like this make us love her band a little more on each play.  Which only Leaves the thuggish ‘Snakes’ to sign off with a winning combination of power and attitude. Now snakes terrify me but maybe if I had the attitude of Amyl & The Sniffers then I’d be out stroking the fuckers but until then I’ll just familiarise myself with this serpent and slither off to play it again and probably again and when I’m done I’ll play it some more.  What a top record this is. If you haven’t already jumped on board then please take my advice and give it a whirl it’s a fuckin’ Banger! Stick with it it’s a record that keeps on giving and who doesn’t like a record like that?

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Author: Dom Daley

Starcrawler – Devour You (Rough Trade Records)

Starcrawler – Devour You (Rough Trade Records)

The embers of 70’s rock ‘n’ roll are still simmering away and one band ready to torch the world and bring it all back screaming are LA darlings Starcrawler. Their brand of weirdo art punk encapsulates everything I love about 70’s rock and the 90’s alternative movement into one melting pot of LA styled cool.

Their notorious live shows combine the theatre of Alice Cooper with the raw, unbridled punk of Iggy & The Stooges. They release singles that don’t appear on albums, make the coolest promo videos since the MTV heyday of David Lee Roth and Poison and they have a wild and wonderful singer named Arrow de Wilde who could be the bastard offspring of Iggy Pop and KatieJane Garside.

It’s only been 18 months since their Ryan Adams produced debut album was released on an unsuspecting world, and now they return with their sophomore long player ‘Devour You’.

 

If you are a fan then you will have heard several of the songs on ‘Devour You’ already. Four singles have been released, with accompanying videos that will make you want to cruise the streets of LA in the summer sunshine.

So, following the tribal beats and familiar de Wilde drawl on album opener ‘Lizzy’, we get the first of those singles ‘Bet My Brains’. A cool Stooges vibe is omnipresent as it builds on a smoky vocal and a trippy groove to a cool as you like chorus refrain. The messy guitars of Henri Cash collide with the great hooks that Arrow delivers and Starcrawler creates the most exciting noise since the mid 90’s heyday of alternative rock.

The latest single ‘No More Pennies’ sees the band take their brand of garage punk to radio-friendly levels that were merely hinted at on previous releases. With a Joe Perry like introduction riff, it builds to an uber cool summery chorus with a nice little country lick going on. The definite Pretenders/Sheryl Crowe feel could alienate the punk rock audience but should be wholly embraced, as this is a band showing great maturity at this early point in their career. Great, lazy vocals and one of the album highlights.

You could say this band is showing their diversity and their songwriting prowess on album number two. I mean, imagine if Susannah Hoffs joined L7 and was seen swinging her used tampon over her shoulder into a festival crowd…well, ’Rich Taste’ could soundtrack that very moment.

From the funky, post-punk feel of ‘You Dig Yours’ to the frantic noise of ‘Toy Teenager’ they deliver the goods. Elsewhere ‘Hollywood Ending’ and ‘Born Asleep’ remind this listener of Hole at their late 90’s commercial peak. And ‘She Gets Around’ is possibly the best song Veruca Salt never released.

Album closer ‘Call Me A Baby’ sees Arrow channel her inner Patsy Cline. As Henri picks a countrified guitar refrain, she drawls a lament with a delicate vocal as sweet as honey. A children’s choir and brass instruments join in on the building chorus to the climax. The biggest compliment I can give is that it sounds like a song from a time gone by.

 

‘Devour’ is an album that showcases the diversity and maturity of a band who have spent time on the road, yet are barely out of their teens. There is a strength to the songwriting that lesser bands would kill to possess. Starcrawler have come a long way in such a short time, only time will tell how far they can truly go, but I for one will be watching every step of the way.

Author: Ben Hughes

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Amyl & The Sniffers – ‘Amyl & The Sniffers’ (Rough Trade Records)

Amyl & The Sniffers – ‘Amyl & The Sniffers’ (Rough Trade Records)

When I saw Aussie punks Amyl & The Sniffers live recently, singer Amy Taylor launched herself into an excited and sweaty pit to sing and mosh with her fans for the first of several times…the band had been on stage less than a minute.

Part Yolandi Visser, part Wendy O Williams, Amy Taylor is a tiny, platinum-haired Aussie whirlwind of fun. Along with her mullet sporting flatmates; Declan (guitars), Bryce (drums) and Gus (bass) whom she formed the band with back in 2016. They have steadily been making waves since writing, recording and releasing their debut EP in the space of 12 hours.

These waves have made it across continents since the vinyl release of their ‘Giddy Up/Big Attractions’ EP, culminating with the band recently touring the States and the UK to rave reviews and packed clubs.

 

They don’t fuck around when it comes to music and live they are a high-octane blast of energy guaranteed to incite riots. That riot-inciting attitude is captured perfectly on their debut, self-titled album.

Just look at that goddamn album artwork and tell me you don’t need a piece of that in your life right now? Imagine a mash of The Rezillos, The Dead Boys and X-Ray Spex covering The Breaking Glass soundtrack and you might get close to their sound.

No one is doing late 70’s punk right now with as much balls, as much energy and certainly with as much authenticity as Amyl & The Sniffers are.

 

‘Starfire 500’ is simply one of the best album openers of the year, what a track! It blasts from the speaker with a statement of intent, riding on some out-of-this-world  Ramones-a-like riff. In Sniffers terms it’s an epic beast; Amy’s distinctive, snotty vocals don’t even start until the 1 minute 30 mark.

It’s clear from the off that the band have taken things up a level and they have come a long way since that lo-fi debut EP. While the production has improved, the songs are still full of raw, undiluted garage rock goodness.

If Kylie had been mentored by GG Allin instead of Pete Waterman she would probably have come out with a song like ‘Gacked On Anger’, a furious diatribe set to a wall of fat distortion.

Previously released singles are present and correct. The brilliant ‘Cup Of Destiny’ has a hook that will embed itself in your brain instantly and album closer ‘Some Mutts (Can’t Be Muzzled)’ is like some anti ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’. A “fuck you!” song to an ex about his new bird (or dog in this instance). Amy even throws in some choice “woof-woofs” for good measure.

The band bashes out 3 chord bangers like they were born to do it, with every track worthy of 7” release, like old school punk classics. ‘Monsoon Rock’ rides on a stabbing Dr. Feelgood style riff before descending into a power trip of Dead Boys proportions. The vocals spat with venom and the dirty guitars delivered with the power of a DC 10. The Stooges-like ‘Control’ is a chaotic, death trip jam, and ‘Angel’ is as close as the band gets to a love song…at least I think it’s a love song, but it sure ain’t no ballad, folks!

‘Got You’ sounds like an early Adam & The Ants b side. Riding on a rumbling bass line and a great chanting chorus, the lead vocals delivered with a most nonchalant punk rock attitude. The accompanying video features the boys in the band on leashes being walked by their singer. You gotta love it, and I have so much love for this tune right now.

 

Garage rock bands are two a penny, but Amyl and The Sniffers are the dirty penny you want to scrub up and keep for good. They have the tunes, the style and the attitude to match. They also have a growing fan base, a ferocious live reputation and now a killer album to boot. How can they possibly fail? An essential purchase.

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Author: Ben Hughes