US / THEM: The Poison Arrows (ex-Don Caballero, Thumbnail) album 'Crime and Soda' out now on Solid Brass Records

“Superb sound… A profound commitment to the craft.” – Thoughts Words Action

Chicago trio The Poison Arrows release their fifth full length album Crime and Soda today via Solid Brass Records. Crime and Soda is available to hear and share via Linktree HERE.

The Poison Arrows formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 2006 with Adam Reach on drums, Patrick Morris on bass (ex-Don Caballero), and Justin Sinkovich (ex-Thumbnail, Atombombpocketknife) on guitar, keyboards, and vocals.

On the heels of 2022’s War Regards and after fifteen years of musical telepathy, Crime and Soda, is arguably the most balanced offering from The Poison Arrows. Their 5th LP showcases the band’s keen ability to balance softer, more contemplative periods held together by a dark and driving rhythm section with their signature moody-math intensity and complexity.

“Mercurial Moments Erased”, the first single, is about absorbing unpredictable changes in a loved one’s temperament and finding solace in deleting it from one’s memory bank. It features one of the Chicago trio’s quintessential obtuse lock groove constructions.

The signature Patrick Morris bass intro of “Joy Amber Scam” escalates into a math rock frenzy as the use some of their most intricate musical trickery to fuse together a frenetic sound reminiscent of June of 44, King Crimson, and Protomartyr, while Sinkovich tells a true story of how he got scammed in Mexico, an episode which started by shooting tequila in a jewelry story, and ended with Justin turning tables on his antagonists by having their entire business’s bank account shut down.

The third single and title track, “Crime and Soda”, deviates from the band’s mathier, post-rock tendencies and starts with a dark, slow piano piece recalling bands like Arab Strap or The Black Heart Procession. “Crime and Soda” is about giving up on someone who has become consumed by their consumption of “crime and sodas,”; a fictitious drink fabricated for this track.

The Poison Arrows have deep roots in the Chicago independent music scene and have played with countless bands that orbit their unique sound, including: Battles, Boris, Drahla, Drive Like Jehu, Film School, Girls Against Boys, June of 44, Man or Astroman?, Mudhoney, Polvo, and many more. Previous albums have included guest appearances from Brian Case of 90 Day Men and FACS, Scott McCloud from Girls Against Boys, Mia Clarke from Electrelane, Pall Jenkins from The Black Heart Procession, and numerous others.

Crime and Soda was recorded in Electrical Audio’s Studio A with Greg Norman, mixed by Brian Deck at Narwhal Studios, and mastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service. The album is available on LP and download on June 16th, 2023 via Solid Brass Records. Vinyl LP orders are available HERE.