Great Mistakes
Poison City
Two years since their last release, the smoke has cleared and Paper Arms are back with a new record. It’s an album that takes a few twists and turns, but ties everything together to mark an impressive release.
There’s a massive ’90s vibe over the entire album, from the vocal style to the big guitar chords – bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Dinosaur Jr. and Postblue immediately come to mind. The vocals encapsulate that grunge feel, both effortless and demanding of attention at the same time. From relationship material on Strings to the politically charged You Don’t Speak For Me, the lyrics are all-encompassing and have that sing-along vibe that a lot of Poison City artists share.
The production on the record makes it their biggest-sounding yet, but not at the expense of their sound or energy. It’s still very much a punk record, but each song is layered, which only makes the big moments sound bigger. Paper Arms have also experimented since their last release, bringing in more dynamic elements and a few guitar effects to keep things interesting.
A ’90s throwback that keeps things feeling modern, and one of the strongest Australian punk releases this year.
SPENCER SCOTT
