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