Only a year out from their debut album Look Alive, the mates Chicago-based Paper Arrows didn’t rest on their alternative laurels. They take their music in a new direction on Things We Would Rather Lose, released in April of this year.

While Look Alive featured a lighter side of the band’s repertoire, their sophomore entry showcases their grungier wardrobe. Like any new style choice, Paper Arrows needs time to add their own nuances to make it work. Things We Would Rather Lose is a step in that direction, but it’s not a final destination by any means.

Vocalist Joe Goodkin details the band’s creative process on their MySpace page, saying the band “really had no pre-conceived notions of what we wanted to do with any of the nine songs we wound up recording [out of a collection of twenty-five written since Look Alive was released], and that freed us up to use a variety of instruments and sounds.”

That’s exactly how the album as a whole comes across. As if they had no idea what they really wanted to achieve. It’s a hodgepodge of sounds and ideas that never find the underlying creative element to tie them all together.

At least Goodkin has a unique enough voice to keep you listening. However, the so-so mixes on the instrumental tracks detract from the overall sound. Again, they need more polish.

Don’t misunderstand the criticism, because Things We Would Rather Lose features some great tracks like “Crystal” and “One More Quiet Song” that you’ll want to queue up again and again. But on the whole, Lose sounds like a solid start of a demo, not like a finished product. With the twenty-five songs they wrote, you’d think they had a few extra to add to the album’s nine, a paltry total.

For fans or those with disposable incomes, simply buy both albums and make a mix. You’ll have a fantastic array of material. As a stand-alone EP however, Things falls short.

I would love to see how Paper Arrows follows up with a third release. By that time they should have a better understanding of what specific direction they’d like to head. They sure don’t seem to have one in mind now.

If you’re a fan of Wilco, Death Cab, or Elbow and crave something new, give Paper Arrows a shot. Otherwise, continue listening to those bands; they’re solid bets.

Paper Arrows is the only artist on the Chicago-based Quell Records label. For performances around the Windy City, check their MySpace page or the Quell Records website. You can buy either of their releases from Cdbaby.com or on iTunes.