Australian band The Paper Kites released an impressive run of albums over the decade leading up to their 2026 long player ‘If You Go, I Hope You Find It’. Although often billed as an indie-folk band, the core of their best material draws from something far richer, and much older sounding, often drawing more from Americana influences. The highlights from their 2023 LP ‘At The Roadhouse’ more than amplified this, with a prominent use of banjo on ‘Hurts So Good’ and a crying steel guitar heard throughout the brilliant ‘Till The Flame Turns Blue’, a number with an aching melody that, in a couple of places, appeared to give faint melodic nods to Van Morrison’s classic ‘Into The Mystic’.

For those who’ve enjoyed The Paper Kites’ more downbeat sounds over the years, this seventh album will be a genuine treat. Beginning with the acoustic ‘Morning Gum’, the record isn’t shy in advertising its mellow vibes from the outset. A number driven more by the band’s advertised folk influences, the mid tempo arrangement allows for a flowing melody, and the marriage of voice and guitar carries a hint of Bob Dylan, alongside a huge wave of early Wilco. The percussion free first half of the track places a focus on a great, aching vocal from Sam Bentley, before gradually introducing a little banjo, and latterly a steady drum, gradually moving the piece from folk into an Americana sound. The transition is gorgeous; not only does it introduce the band slowly, but by the last bars, its also been an opener that’ll remind many of how inviting and warm The Paper Kites can sound. Taking even more of a stripped down approach, ‘Deep (In The Plans We Made)’ presents a live sounding, heavily strummed acoustic guitar, coupled with group vocals that place almost an equal importance on each of the performers. There are glimmers of influence from Fleet Foxes (without the annoying filters), but the natural flair that comes through the track is decidedly Paper Kites-esque. The minimalist tones here mean that, beyond those harmonies, listeners are unlikely to latch onto this from first listen, but over time, its likely to feel like one of this album’s stand out tracks, purely through its emotive pull.

‘Stormwall’ also allows a live sound to colour the rhythm guitar work, whilst sparsely applied keys flesh out a great tune. With a melody that doesn’t ever aim to upstage the lyric, Sam’s voice takes centre stage from the outset, and his quiet delivery almost sounds as if it’ll crack under the weight of the ache that’s driving everything. As before, the warmer elements of the music really shine through when required: Samuel Rasmassen’s bass work is never flashy, but his bottom end sound really lifts this performance, whilst pianist Christina Lacy’s playing feels almost as fragile as the vocal, helping to create something that feels ideal for a late night listen.

An instant highlight, ‘Every Town’ straddles folk and country, creating a sound that’s never a million miles away from The Jayhawks, Wilco or The Delines. Crying steel guitars lurk in the distance, while absolutely gorgeous harmony vocals work a superb chorus melody, and a mournful verse makes a great feature of a classic Americana fueled lead vocal. Although it isn’t particularly uplifting, It’s the kind of number that reinforces any feelings that this band are something special, and this track feels like something you’ve always known. The Paper Kites plough the 70s and the 90s for the finest rootsy inspirations here, and their smoother sounds create something equally timeless. A track nestled at the end of the album, ‘Borne By You’, adopts a very similar mood, but the “if it ain’t broke…” approach results in something equally marvellous, with banjo darting in and out of a slow tempo, whilst prominent bass and cello come together to flesh out music that sounds worthy of scoring a movie’s rolling credits. As great as the music is, however – and it is genuinely great – it’s the use of harmonies that’ll win over the listener once more, as Sam reaches within himself for one of the record’s best vocal takes, and Christina’s slightly breathy contrast fleshes out a superb sound. This is peak Paper Kites.

Picking up the tempo, ‘Where The Lavender Blooms’ is a near perfect folk-pop number that makes great use of a banjo and guitar combo – pretty much the pinnacle of the band’s crossover sound – but that’s quickly outshone by a huge chorus harmony where Sam and Christina’s voices mesh flawlessly once again, and by the subtly applied electric guitar weaving in and out of a very 70s melody. There are moments where this sounds like something you might find buried deeply on an early Jackson Browne record, but long time fans will hear something that’s unmistakeably the work of The Paper Kites – a track that, despite flaunting a busy rhythm, absolutely exudes an easy coolness that’s set to win over the listener in record time. ‘Shake Off The Rain’ isn’t quite as immediate, but in terms of setting a mood, it certainly plays very naturally. The opening bars set a very gentle rhythm in place and the combination of hard strummed acoustic guitar and deeper, rootsy sounds creates a great atmosphere. The overall mood rarely changes throughout the next four minutes, leaving the lead vocal to do a lot of heavy lifting. With a lighter tone but sharing an almost mournful delivery, that voice adds a huge amount of melody to the downbeat track, and Sam sounds amazing.

Elsewhere, you’ll find the pre-release single ‘Change of The Wind’. A laid back affair, this track takes in even more of a country vibe than some of this album’s key cuts, placing a honeyed lead vocal against mellow strums, blending the acoustic and electric in a way that’s positively Jayhawks-esque. The rhythm barely changes throughout, and the melody moves along with a rather subtle lilt, but there’s nothing about the performance that could ever be called flat. The smooth vocals fit brilliantly within the unfussy arrangement, and a slightly harder twang applied to the lead guitar gives everything an extra dimension, but without breaking the mellow mood. In some ways, it finds the band in a relative comfort zone, but when they sound this good, that’s certainly not a complaint. For fans, this is likely to be considered an instant classic.

There’s nothing here that aims to shake the audience; the material has no obvious punch. These songs are all about heart, sharing honest emotions and setting a mood that’s wholly reflective. Aside from possibly feeling even more mellow than before, the songs don’t necessarily find The Paper Kites breaking new ground either, but these factors shouldn’t be considered a bad thing. Far from it. With no filler found within the ten tracks and a wealth of finely crafted lyrics and melodies, ‘If You Go There, I Hope You Find It’ is a superb record that could, in time, be considered one of the Aussie band’s greatest platters. If you’re interested in mellow Americana with a folk-rock undertone, you can’t afford to miss this – it’s absolutely wonderful.

January 2026