Album Reviews

Sixteen years after the release of Volatile Molotov, The Arrivals are back with a new album. And from the moment opener “When It’s Gone” kicks in, it feels as though no time has passed at all. The band picks up exactly where they left off: drums relentlessly drive the song forward beneath wildly buzzing guitars, a melodic lead brings a sense of lightness, while gritty vocals deliver meditations on finality and loss.

From there, the album becomes gloriously unpredictable, with a production that preserves the band’s ragged urgency. Every track heads somewhere different, making it nearly impossible to anticipate what comes next. The dual vocals of Little Dave Merriman and Isaac Thotz add even more dimension: Thotz’s melodic delivery offsets Merriman’s grittier approach. Somehow, though, it always sounds unmistakably like The Arrivals. “Drill Baby Drill” tackles the over-exploitation of Earth’s natural resources atop a rumbling bassline before collapsing in on itself near the end, only to give way to the upbeat rush of “Just Like My Brother.”

“Iron Curtain” stands out as another highlight, channeling the jangly spirit of early R.E.M. while delivering one of the album’s strongest choruses. “Sound Of Bombs” explores the psychological weight of conflict while subtly nodding toward The Weakerthans, whereas “Love Is Easy,” enhanced by subtle synths, reveals yet another side of The Arrivals and emerges as the album’s sweetest moment.

The 92-second barnburner “January 7” provides a shrill contrast to the sprawling closer, “The Wretched of the Earth Parts: Guns, Germs, Steel,” which finds Thotz arguing in song with Franz Fanon and Jared Diamond, two writers whose books approach colonization from vastly different perspectives.

The Arrivals carved out a singular space for themselves long ago, and even now it’s difficult to think of another band that sounds quite like them. At its core, their music is rooted in Midwestern punk rock, but the band refuses to stay confined there. They freely pull from mod, post-punk, British Invasion melodies, and power-pop, resulting in an album that - to return to sixteen years ago - feels every bit like a Volatile Molotov.

Payload is a very welcome return for The Arrivals, and one that feels as timely as ever.

Payload track listing:

1. When It’s Gone
2. Drill Baby Drill
3. Just Like My Brother
4. Motivation
5. Iron Curtain
6. Sound of Bombs
7. This Is What It Feels Like
8. Love is Easy
9. Shake
10. January 7th
11. The Wretched of the Earth: Guns, Germs, Steel