The Paper Kites let us into their world in 'At The Roadhouse'

Australian folk rock band The Paper Kites released their sixth studio album, At The Roadhouse, featuring their signature string picking, heartfelt lyrics, and infectious sound. 

Photo via The Paper Kites website.

The concept for At The Roadhouse started during the band’s residency in Campbells Creek, a small town in Australia. Here, in a room full of mostly strangers, the band found a new home filled with singing, laughter, and community. “Are we such strangers in the moments we share? A breath, a look, a song. You cannot know the height of me. I cannot know the depth of you. And so, we are strangers with warmth and time,” they said in the second part of the album’s trailer. And from that, At The Roadhouse was born. 

The opening song, “Midnight Moon,” immediately places listeners in the room during one of their residency shows. In the first few seconds of the album, the live audience’s chatter radiates giving a sense of life and commonality to the music that follows. 

The band split the tracklist into two sets. As they sing through the two halves of the record, The Paper Kites take listeners on a journey through the streets of small town Australia.  
From the first track to the last, the image of this road creeps in time and time again. But there’s a slight shift in the image each time it’s used. In "Till the Flame Turns Blue,” the road represents a sense of promise and hope. “I wanna take you down that old street now, honey,” they sing. They want to hold onto the comfort of the road’s familiarity. Slowly, the road begins to represent longing. “I lay awake and listened / To the car drive down the road.” The image shifts as the road starts to represent leaving. 

Then, in “June’s Stolen Car,” the road almost serves as a rebellious form of power. “And the road was full of promise / Like the wheels at her feet / So she stole that old Mustang.” In this story, the road means something completely different. What makes this image so striking is the idea that it doesn’t matter what path you take. Everyone’s roads can lead to the same place – to a random roadhouse, to this record, anywhere. 

The roadhouse feels like a convergence of feeling, like the place where you realize that having a range of emotion makes you human. The Paper Kites know how to write a love song filled with tenderness and simplicity which they accomplish on tracks like “Green Valley” and “The Sweet Sound of You.” But with songs like “Hurts So Good,” “Good Nights Gone,” and “I Don’t Want to Go That Way,” the band doesn’t shy away from recognizing life’s complexities. “Give a little love, take a little pain / It's a heat on the rise when all you want is a little rain.”

Through lyrics like these, this album emanates a deeper, more intimate feeling than previous albums like “Woodland” and “Roses.” Swapping out some of their more traditional folk sounds with moody electric guitars and heavier drum beats while also committing to raw lyricism proves At The Roadhouse to be one of their most authentic collections. The sonic and cohesive melding of folk and rock elements creates a truly unique and artful record.

The Paper Kites are what music was made for – to close your eyes and bask in the sweet sound of folk strings, a steady drum beat, and the twang of an electric guitar. They are able to transport you to a world where nothing matters more than music. This collection was specifically crafted to be experienced live. Check out The Paper Kites upcoming tour dates if you want to join the roadhouse experience.