by Shannon Smith
From the moment the snarling distortion kicks in on “Jerkin’,” it’s clear that Cartoon Darkness is an album of defiance. Amyl and The Sniffers charge headfirst into the chaotic void, swinging wildly at anyone foolish enough to step in their way. It’s punk as it ought to be: a defiant shout against convention, a raw howl at the absurdities of the world. The Melbourne four-piece, led by Amy Taylor’s vitriolic vocals, bring a reckless energy that recalls Sid Vicious’ snarling presence, albeit with today’s wit and sense of fun. There’s even a splash of [...]
by Steven Miller
Soaring past the thirty-year mark as a band, Japan’s Envy returns with their eighth studio album, Eunoia, an offering that is raw and filled with feels. The eight-song project is enriched by a wide palette of sonic textures as Eunoia captures a band that’s not just surviving—it’s thriving, despite the challenges of time and significant personnel shifts. This album, the second release since a major shake-up in 2018, finds Envy leaning into vulnerability while exploring new sonic terrains. The result is an album that encapsulates not just the experience of a band evolving, but also a glimpse of their collective soul as they [...]
by Steven Miller
Oklahoma City’s Chat Pile have always embraced chaos, but Cool World, their sophomore album, takes the visceral cacophony they introduced in God’s Country and pushes it into a realm that’s even more unsettling and thematically expansive. If their debut honed in on the personal horrors of addiction, industrial collapse, and the existential decay of “God’s country,” Cool World expands the lens to capture humanity’s collective violence, exposing how systems of power grind down the individual on a global scale.
The album’s title, Cool World, may initially seem like a nod to the [...]
by Shannon Smith
Lotte Gallagher’s debut EP, A Better Feeling, is a striking entry into the alt-rock landscape, reflecting her musical roots and raw, emotive lyricism. As a 17-year-old singer-songwriter from Northside Melbourne, Gallagher has already made a name for herself, impressing Triple J tastemakers and earning a top-five finalist spot in the 2023 Unearthed High competition. With influences ranging from the 90s grunge scene to the modern indie sounds of Phoebe Bridgers and Angie McMahon, her music feels organic, refreshingly blending angst with introspection.
Opening with “Gasoline,” a slow-burning track [...]
