The Paper Kites – If You Go There, I Hope You Find It

What does it sound like?:

The Paper Kites have been together, with the same five members, since 2009. They are Australian and have all known each other since high school. They paid their dues, in the old fashioned way, endlessly performing live, honing their sound, working on their technique, and building a following. Their early single, Bloom, gradually gathered momentum, crossed the Pacific and sold a million in America. If You Go There, I Hope You Find It is their seventh studio album.

If The Eagles were soft rock, The Paper Kites are soft folk: largely acoustic instruments, including banjo and lap steel, gentle melodies and smooth caramel harmonies. They occasionally plug in an electric guitar to rough things up but you won’t find much gore or gothic horror. After all these years together, they are in danger of slipping into cosy domesticity. To spice things up their last album, At The Roadhouse, was recorded live with an expanded band, and the one before, Roses, is a collection of duets with guest female vocalists. This time, they return home, almost literally, back to Melbourne, back to their roots and the Sing Sing Studio, stripped down to the five original members.

There is no doubting the empathy between all of the players. However, Sam Bentley is totally in charge. He writes the songs, sings lead on all ten and finger picks the melody lines from his acoustic guitar. He sets the tone that the others embellish. A Word I Needed More is just him and his guitar. His voice is rather lovely, melancholic, but more of a light mist than a dark fog. The Paper Kites are careful not to cross the line into bland. The songs are painstakingly constructed and beautifully put together in the studio, designed not for immediacy but to slowly grind the tension to its inevitable conclusion. It’s an album of calm but not of peace. The two best songs, the weary blues Shake Off The Rain and an earthy three part harmony recorded around a single mic, Deep (In The Plans We Made), have an emotional resonance reminiscent of Cowboy Junkies. On the finale, Borne By You, Sam stretches his voice beyond his natural key. Nevertheless, this warm, mature and contemplative album is crying out for a little variety, a touch more shade and colour. When The Lavender Blooms is as close as they get to a punch-the-air chorus. Dirty guitar or a thumping beat are sadly absent. Christine Lacy has a voice that should be heard more. Perhaps, after Roses, Sam was keen to dominate the microphone. It’s a pity he doesn’t write more songs with her in mind.

What does it all *mean*?

The Paper Kites’ loyal fanbase will be delighted with If You Go There, I Hope You Find It. The streams and downloads will continue to rack up, as will ticket sales for their concerts. The question is, will newcomers have the patience to give it the time it needs to reveal its charms.

Goes well with…

A lovely sofa, plump cushions, quiet contemplation and speakers with a silk dome tweeter.

Release Date:

23/01/2026

Might suit people who like…

The familiar company of an old friend.

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