Paper Arms: Great Mistakes

One thing I’ve always liked about punk as a genre is that while on the surface there’s usually a whole heap of yelling and – more often than not – overly loud guitar, there’s some really admirable ideals and meaningful lyrics. While Paper Arms have gone for a more subdued sound this time around, the punk rock ‘tude is alive and well.
With grungy guitars, a gruff-yet-kinda-plaintive vocal style and plenty of heart, Great Mistakes strikes me as the kind of album you could sing your heart out to. Its songs are energetic, entertaining and fantastically anthemic. track six, ‘Wake and Run’ crashes into you like a wave; after its more subdued predecessor, the high-energy, almost screamed track is a heavy wake-up call (pardon the pun) and shows the breadth of the Adelaide-based band’s skills. There’s a spacey, etheric quality to some of their tracks, too; Paper Arms seem determined to show just how many different styles they can cover. Great Mistakes has your traditional punk rock influences, some hardcore sounds, and even a Karnivool-esque spacey alt rock feel scattered throughout its 13 tracks. While each track has its own individual style, the album remains coherent and well-balanced. track eight, ‘Volumes’, is my personal favourite – high energy drums, powerful bass and melodic guitars combine to provide the perfect background to a passionate vocal track from singer Josh Mann. While Great Mistakes starts a tad subdued, Paper Arms finish up the album with a bang; everything builds up and finishes strong.
Reviewed by Alastair McGibbon