Review: Paper Rifles – “Traitors Hill”

Make That A Take Records, Anti-Manifesto Records – June 29, 2020

Loudly whispering in a rogue’s brogue.

Across the world, it is easy to see that nuance is dying… luckily, nobody told Paper Rifles yet. The four-piece outfit from Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland manages to scream without raising their voices. Lyrically, vocalist Jon Dick lambastes the power structure across the UK in the same way our old dog growls at our hyped-up six-year old; understated but firm enough to make his point. Alternating between the raw emotion of Far-era Jonah Matranga & storytelling of Billy Bragg, Jon leads the charge over the quiet fury of drummer/producer James Johnson, bassist Kieran Andrews and guitarist Kevin Cameron. Over Traitor’s Hill‘s 10 tracks the Scotsmen alternate, blend and manipulate the characteristics of power-punk and indie rock.

The opening track, “The Greatest Change” begins with a 75 second sleepy build before the first words are sung/spoke, but by the two-minute mark, the harmonies shine through and it becomes clear this is more than standard Scottish punk fare. Once the drum starts relentlessy driving, its time to let Paper Rifles take the wheel while you enjoy the ride.

Musically, “Sleeping Dogs” comes across as skate punks with Poli-Sci degrees channeling Elvis Costello. Urgent and biting, intelligent and subtle, this track would fit seamlessly on one of Fat Wreck Chords’ Rock Against Bush comps of the early 00s.

For my money, “It Started as a Joke” is the strongest track on this blistering album. A scathing dressing-down of Britain’s political landscape resonates just as strongly on this side of the pond. Lyrics such as; “The lies our leaders spoke have burned our bridges down. Its hard to see the forest when you’ve burned down all the trees,” speaks poignantly about the anger and division across the globe.

Paper Rifles take a step back in the sweeping “Blood on the Wind.” Consistent and enjoyable, this track continues the crescendo set forth on the previous track using stops and whispers to pull back as it leads into the somewhat more subdued opening of “Sea Legs.” Warning listeners to soften their approach while preparing to fight through their own zealousy, quietly screaming “If we stumble over we’ll surely drown… So I’m begging sea legs don’t fail me now.”

Following the initial 5 powerful tunes, Traitor’s Hill starts to stumble with” Hearts and Minds” and “Judas.” Neither track is weak on their own, but when compared to the rest of the album, these are clearly filler tracks and unflinchingly mediocre, sludging through the most basic calls to arms and paint by numbers allegories. Luckily for us, this is only a tool to make “Headstrong” feel more powerful and accessible as Dick once again rages silently against the black or white politics of his home in the highlands, begging you to shout along no matter where you are listening,

“Cemetary Sea” manages to illustrate what Frank Turner fronting Blackout!-era Dropkick Murphys without being derivative of either before leading into Traitor’s Hill’s swelling and nose-thumbing closer, “Atlas.” Opening like a soft ballad and building into a full band attention-grabber evoking the joy of a live audience sing-along we may not soon see.

Traitor’s Hill provides both the soundtrack and blueprint to calmly yet urgently demand change. Political not preachy, angry not flailing, Paper Rifles are crying out for listeners to stand up and change the world without burning each other down.