Recommended tracks: “Early Onset,” “You Ominously End,” “Morning Person”
Artists you may like: Ben Quad, Like Roses, Hot Mulligan
Canadian emo band Arm’s Length (Allen Steinberg, Jeremy Whyte, Jeff Whyte, Benjamin Greenblatt) has just released their highly anticipated sophomore album There’s A Whole World Out There, and dare we say it might be their best work yet. Arm’s Length manages to reinforce everything we already knew and loved about the band, hitting listeners in the gut with poignant lyrics and explosions of emotion, while also having some fresh tricks up their sleeve that take this album to the next level.
The 12-song album, with lyrics written mostly by vocalist Allen Steinberg, approaches the pain of the past from the perspective of being on the other side of all the hardship. Fans who enjoyed their 2022 debut album Never Before Seen, Never Again Found will find a similarly sad vibe, but with a more reflective tone. Steinberg shares more about his writing process:
“I had the songs for the last record since I was basically a teenager, but I had to write all of these ones fresh. So it speaks more to my life at the moment than the past, even though there’s still a good amount of past on it. But it’s how I’m dealing with it now, as opposed to being enveloped in it… I’m probably just a bit more mature, as my frontal lobe is developing as we speak.”
This shift in tone he mentions is palpable as we hear the band get a little bolder in their musical experimentation and the lyrics are written from a more evolved perspective. In some songs, Steinberg’s vocal tone drips with a sort of sick nostalgia as he looks back on his past, while in others, you can almost picture him raising an eyebrow in amusement at the whole situation. And don’t worry – longtime fans will still enjoy plenty of emo vibes and angst-filled breakdowns, staying true to the band’s roots.
There’s A Whole World Out There starts with the aptly titled “The World,” incorporating a slow, atmospheric fade-in before exploding into energy supported by Steinberg’s unique vocal style. The lyrics “I am self-aware / and that’s what makes me scared” stand out as a precursor of what’s to come – this idea of wrestling with what you know and how it may hurt you. The breakdown that shows us to the end radiates the kind of torment that can come with this awareness as we’re forced to confront our fears and flaws head-on. We’re also introduced to the title lyrics: “you wandered off with no way home / was I selfish for keeping you close / when there’s a whole world out there and you would have never known?” These lines leave a lasting impression as we head into the journey of this album, turning the idea of “ignorance is bliss” on its head.
Catchy guitar riffs hook us into “Fatal Flaw” before settling down so we can focus on Steinberg’s calming vocals. This song truly allows Jeff Whyte’s drums to shine, carrying us along with a punchy beat. The duality of the pain and exhilaration of life that Steinberg has woven through the album is especially present in the chorus: “you see how far you’ve come / romanticize the past for fucking what / you know your younger self would be so proud / you’re nothing like them now.” It feels almost triumphant, but with a twist of self-deprecation and dread – after the bridge, we hear “another trip around the sun / why does it feel like way too much?” During the final chorus, the lyrics minimize the narrator’s accomplishments and reek of self-doubt: “you know your younger self would chalk it all up to luck or a lack thereof.”
“Funny Face” is a high-energy anthem combining catchy melodies with light vocal harmonies. Clocking in at just under three minutes, this single keeps the excitement high but doesn’t skimp on emotional weight – Steinberg says it’s “about how discouragement from a trusted loved one can shape who you are as a person” and it’s “one of our darkest, heaviest tracks.” “The Weight” has an in-your-face pop-punk melody that contrasts heavily with the lyrics, which focus on wanting to disappear. Steinberg confronts his battles with eating disorders as he discusses how it’s easier to hide when he’s thinner. The lyrics “how can you tell me I’m safe / when I am seen?” reflect a fear of being exposed and vulnerable.
The following “Palinopsia” can be explained by the definition of the word itself: it’s a visual phenomenon in which you continue to see something that’s no longer there. According to Steinberg, the song is about “pure devotion or love towards someone that may no longer be a part of your life” — a theme appropriate to an album that deals with looking back on the past. “Palinopsia” also incorporates muffled spoken word under the ethereal soundscape of the bridge, setting it apart from the other tracks as it encourages a more peaceful, nostalgic kind of reflection.
“The Wound” starts with Steinberg pointedly asking, “time will heal me / will I stick around to see it?” As it picks up energy, we hear a dark, self-deprecating sense of humor as Steinberg sings “when I swear on my life / we both know that the stakes aren’t high.” The second verse sees the seamless introduction of a banjo, adding a sunnier vibe that feels like it’s been there all along. This playful sound contrasts the lyrics beautifully as Steinberg addresses the possibility of having children: “and if they’re anything like us / we can’t pretend they won’t be fucked.” The song finishes as Steinberg almost nonchalantly brings us full circle with the darkly candid lines, “time will heal all wounds / but not the ones that kill me.”
“You Ominously End” expands the incorporation of the banjo with a folk-inspired beginning, something new for the band that we are absolutely here for. The upbeat and jumpy track explores the fear of a friend committing suicide. While the emotions that Steinberg confronts are real, the story itself is fictional, speaking even more to his writing talents. The track picks up into perhaps the heaviest breakdown of the entire album, heavily contrasting the banjo woven throughout, before crashing back down into a stripped outro.
The acoustic “Early Onset” is one of my favorite tracks and maybe the most sonically beautiful on the album. This quiet, reflective song explores self-sabotage and escapism as Steinberg sings, “you’re the cure for Alzheimer’s / that makes memories appear.” Perfectly placed vocal harmonies and the build of violins elevate the emotional weight. Even though this is a quieter song, the bridge manages to work itself up into a gorgeous frenzy of strings and powerful vocals before it crescendos. We crash right into “Genetic Lottery” with some drums and melancholy guitar as the band explores what it means to really live before heading into “Attic.”
An attic is usually thought of as a dark, scary place full of cobwebs, and this is exactly how Steinberg uses it; for the purposes of this song, it’s where secrets from his past are hidden. The beginning details how he wants to keep these things hidden from someone, while the instrumentals sparkle in the second verse as he describes bridging the distance between himself and this person. By the end, he’s evolved enough to say that the things in his attic won’t keep him from getting close to this person. “Halley” acts just like its namesake: it’s a relatively short, explosive burst of energy that burns itself out at the end as we edge into the album closer.
Described by Steinberg as “so emo,” “Morning Person” stretches out over almost 7 minutes and is to this album what Knuckle Puck’s “Untitled” is to their 2015 album Copacetic. It’s difficult to pull off a song this long without it feeling repetitive and monotonous, but Arm’s Length has done it perfectly. From the soft, atmospheric intro and gradual build to the chorus to the raw energy at the midpoint fading into a tired calm, the song swells and crashes like a wave that soaks listeners with emotion at every transition.
It’s the perfect song to wrap us up. Sonically, there’s a little bit of everything: calm, reflective periods, harsh vocals that bring the album’s angst to a point, and a bit of banjo that ties in the folk experimentation. Lyrically, it’s a dramatic, philosophical track that at some points examines humanity as whole. “Morning Person” is truly the climax as it allows Steinberg – and the listeners – to look back at the themes present on the album with a sense of relief at being a little more removed from the pain. Steinberg shares:
“It’s all about having some hindsight and being able to look back on the traumas that I talked about on the last record… ‘Morning Person’ just wraps all that up… It’s accepting the damage is done, and then moving on.”
With There’s A Whole World Out There, Arm’s Length showcases not only their raw musical talent, but also their willingness to grow both emotionally and musically. It may be sad, but it is indeed a more mature take on life’s traumas, and it’s an absolute joy to listen to from beginning to end.
The first half comes on very strong with catchy melodies and a lot of energy, cementing the band’s signature style, while after “You Ominously End,” it takes on a slower, more peaceful yet melancholic tone. The folk-inspired sound brought by the banjo and the strings in “Early Onset” take the album to the next level, adding exciting new ingredients to the band’s classic emo recipe. The themes are punctuated well by the sonic landscape, and the lyrical dark humor allows these painful truths to be more easily digested by the listener. With plenty of emotional weight and enough musical variety that each song stands out, this will be an album I’ll play on repeat for the rest of the year.
With this very impressive sophomore album, Arm’s Length is poised to take the emo scene by storm as we look forward to where their ever-evolving sound takes us next. If you want to hear these songs live, they’re currently out on tour through North America in support of the album. Tickets are available here. And lucky for European fans, they’ve just announced a UK and Europe run of the tour for early 2026, and you can find tickets here.
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