Amyl and the Sniffers -- Comfort to Me
[B2B]
Amyl and the Sniffers are a silly band. They’re the kind of band that both perfectly fit into and completely outside of definition. The self-described pub punk band is just about exactly what you imagine when you think of the phrase “pub punk band”, wearing beer-stained tees, screaming vile profanities, and looking like they rolled out of a lost-and-found bin and onto stage.
This band’s energy is truly unmatched by the modern punk scene and is mostly thanks to their cartoonish singer, the vulgar, breast-milk chugging, fistfight-instigating Amy Taylor who has enough frontperson bravado to fill three Led Zeppelins and then some. Her rowdy stage presence is hard to forget and is the most distinct aspect about the band.
I’ve had a soft spot for the band since their self-titled debut 2 years ago because of how they perfectly channel the unhinged hardcore of the 80s I grew up on. So hearing a band that is making waves in the punk scene without having to reinvent the wheel is comforting, reassuring that punk never really dies.
And for the most part, Comfort to Me is more of the same kind of stuff. That’s not a bad thing though, because Amyl & The Sniffers find a way to rearrange hardcore with injections of all eras of punk to stay exciting and engaging.
The album’s big hits like “Hertz” and “Guided By Angels” fit comfortably within post-punk’s modern canon, the former of which is the album’s shouty opener that perfectly encapsulates all of Taylor’s bravado in one song. The grooves are scratchy and you can feel the strain in Taylor’s vocal cords just listening to it.
Although it’s not aesthetically riot grrrl, Comfort to Me’s songs are inherently feminist from the perspective of female-identifying Taylor who runs a tightrope between anger and desperation with the patriarchy. “Don’t Need A C**t (Like You To Love Me)” is a freakout against all men a la Black Flag with skittering guitar solos, starting and ending in less than two minutes--just how I like it.
Few songs break three minutes, and many here don’t even break two, which for many of these ideas is what I think is appropriate for a band like Amyl and the Sniffers. “Laughing” and “Freaks To The Front” are two examples of short bangers that contain some of my favorite bits of the album in angsty restraint.
I will say that when the band tries to break the three minute barrier, it’s a toss-up. The band contains an energy and monotony that ideally serves short songs and spoils not long after that. “Snakes” is the album’s tiring closer that just drags the farewell out too long. And “Knifey”, a song that contains one of my favorite grooves here, lingers uncomfortably after repeating the same verse for the fifth time.
There is a happy middle ground though. And it is manifested through “Security” which balances its length with interesting beat switches and choruses. It’s Ramones-esque three-chord progression rocks with Taylor’s comedically desperate chorus, making this album’s most vivid song
I think Amyl And The Sniffers are in over their heads when they try to break three-minute hardcore time limit, but they’re still one of the most best punk bands out there living out the age-old tradition of beer-soaked mosh pits and unruly sonic violence.
RIYL: Black Flag, IDLES, shame
Listen To: “Guided By Angels”, “Security”, “Freaks To The Front”
6.8/10.