Arm’s Length garnered quite the loyal following over the years; touring relentlessly and gathering hundreds of thousands of new listeners along the way.
Now in 2025, the band has signed with Pure Noise Records and is now readying the release of what I’ve seen; is not only one of the most anticipated sophomore albums, but one of the most anticipated of the year with There’s a Whole World Out There.
Vocalist Allen Steinberg explains that the overarching theme of the record over the course of the LP’s 12 tracks is a common theme of wrestling with the part of your life that’s been and gone, dealing with the presence of something that’s no longer actually there.
First on the record is The World, which thematically toys with the idea of dual torment and exhilaration of what it means to be alive, but understanding that everything is also always lost.
The song is a masterclass in songwriting from the band, having a massive anthemic chorus but slowing down and giving us some beautiful soundscapes in the verses. Later we even get a guitar solo and an instrumental changeup for the second chorus that makes it hit even harder, the band toying around with the song structure is what makes it stand out. Steinberg ends the tune in heartbreaking fashion as he screams out “There’s a whole world out there that you would have never known”.
After we have Fatal Flaw which starts with a guitar riff that almost has an upbeat and hopeful sound to it, this cut covers themes of what it means to be an artist who uses pain to create art. It sees the band honing into their more pop-punk influences. There’s a contrast that works really well between the upbeat instrumental and the dark but emotional tone of the vocals.
In the second half of the record, we have Early Onset which is a mesmerizing stripped back moment on the record. This one kicks off with just Steinberg’s vocals and a beautiful guitar passage underneath. It ever so slowly builds throughout the runtime; starting with some subtle vocal harmonies, then a touch of violin near the halfway mark before it becomes front in center in the last quarter. This cut is without a doubt one of my favourite moments on the record.
To conclude the record there’s Morning Person, which Steinberg explains is about accepting the damage is done and moving on. This one is a journey in of itself as it’s just under seven minutes, almost doubling every other track on the record. It even includes a subtle touch of banjo and harmonica in the second half of the song, which provides the listener a sense of hope sonically. In its final moments, the full band comes together to bring the record to close in anthemic fashion.
Arm’s Length have really put it all on display here with their sophomore record. The band has worked on and elevated their sound in all the ways that mattered. The record is focused in its themes, there’s a sense of maturity to the songwriting and with that comes an album that shows Arm’s Length in the best state they’ve ever been.
9/10
There’s a Whole World Out There is available now via Pure Noise Records
