Album Review: Amyl and The Sniffers, Amyl and The Sniffers

Currently one of the most incendiary live acts on the underground, I suspect that it won’t take long for Melbourne group Amy And The Sniffers to crack the mainstream. Led by star-in-waiting Amy Taylor – a sort of spiritual granddaughter of Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry – the bullish band tap into the Murder City Devils, ’80s UK street-punk and Dead Boys’-esque sleaze on their self-titled debut. It’s a primal, powerful record, packed with charisma and hooks.

Produced by Ross Orton (who helped create Arctic Monkeys’ AM), the record is filled with explosive pit anthems. ‘Some Mutts Can’t Be Muzzled’ is the dog’s bollocks; ‘Cup Of Destiny’ is a thrilling blast of loud and lairy pub rock; and ‘GYR’ is so wonderfully abrasive, it should come with a government health warning. True, the Aussies haven’t really evolved sonically since their brace of EPs, but hey, if it ain’t broke… As mean as the Hulk with the mother of all hangovers, this is one of the most ferocious debuts you’ll hear all year.

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8/10