When bands return after a long absence, the results can vary wildly. Sometimes it sounds like the band had never left in the first place and new material has the same urgency and energy as their earlier days, but on the other end of the spectrum are albums that sound either phoned in or try to latch onto trends of the day. Chicago punk rock band The Arrivals fall into the former end of the spectrum, as their latest effort Payload arrives nearly fifteen and a half years after 2010’s Volatile Molotov but feels like it picks up where they left off. The material spans the grittier and melodic sides of punk while also bringing in plenty of additional musical styles, and with plenty of standout moments Payload is a strong comeback for this long-running act.
Punk can mean a lot of different things depending on the era, but The Arrivals’ sound can best be boiled down to classic punk rock with hints of earlier pop punk and 70s rock ‘n roll, with different flourishes added to each song to shake things up. Rather than going for speed the entire time like some of their peers, the songs on Payload move between slower, reflective tempos and faster, bouncier ones. “When It’s Gone” has all the classic genre elements at work, hitting hard and fast with a grittier tone, while “Drill Baby Drill” opts for a slightly slower approach where the bass lines dominate and the way the song is constructed gives off more of that angular post punk feel. Other moments adopt a mellower and reflective cadence that has more of a more traditional rock vibe, and you’ll even get some more upbeat rock ‘n roll and garage rock riffs that have more of that fuzziness to them. This gives The Arrivals a good deal of variety, and while this doesn’t deviate too significantly from the fusion of sounds they’ve channeled in the past there are natural expansions of each side on Payload. Admittedly for some this might be too mellow on the punk spectrum, but I found the back and forth between the higher energy and subdued songs worked well and the songwriting had plenty of standout moments to keep me coming back. The closing track “The Wretched of the Earth: Guns, Germs, Steel” is also worth mentioning for its more ambitious structure, as its split into three parts over nearly seven minutes and while punk doesn’t always do that great at longer arrangements the band pulls it off here. A few of the softer tracks didn’t quite stand out for me as much as the grittier ones over repeat listens, but there’s a consistency to the material from beginning to end that really showcases the group’s ability.
Like other classic punk bands, The Arrivals split their vocals between multiple members which gives the material a different tone from song to song. The opener has a gruffer and more forceful singing pitch, while “Drill Baby Drill” has a softer, almost spoken/sung cadence which is where more of the post punk influence shone through for me. What’s also notable is that this isn’t just a case where some songs have the higher pitch and others have the low one, as both vocalists have different elements they can draw from that keep things less predictable. Tracks like “Love Is Easy” have more of a reflective and softer approach that gives off power pop energy while others bring back the punk snarl, and how they get there is different. Payload also caught my attention through its more nuanced approach to lyrics, which tackles a lot of social and political topics but does it through a story driven approach that allows for a bit more depth compared to some of the other punk out there.
In many ways it sounds like The Arrivals never left after 2010’s Volatile Molotov, but that doesn’t mean they are simply re-treading the past either. Payload does a great job at capturing all the facets of their previous work while still exploring new elements, and if you enjoy punk that spends just as much time exploring melody and more reflective passages as much as it does high energy, grittier ones then this is an album that will have a lot of staying power. Payload is available from Recess Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg