Arms was recorded in May, 2006, issued in a minimalist tour-only slipcase in early 2007, and finally hit the streets as a full-fledged release in September of 2007. By the time the album was released, the band's line-up had changed significantly, by now even more so. As the last vestige of a Zs era now past, Arms is a important document for any fan of the band. But, viewed outside of this context, Arms loses none of its lustre; it was one of the best releases to be birthed in 2007, a stellar record that marks, to this point, the high water mark in the catalog of an superbly challenging group.
The disc begins with "B is for Burning," a endless staccato staircase into the sky, in which each musician's swirling sonic pointillism plays amongst the contributions of the others in a exactingly precise dance of sizeable collective momentum. Not all of Arms is so exhilirating, but Zs aren't a band who, even when they slow things down, are apt to take the easy route. Their instrumental interaction is the group's most impressive skill, a stregth that is played upon consistently in the album's composition. "Balk," seemingly simple, reveals itself to be a taut conversation, the track's circular motion a series of well-placed interjections moving like pistons to create the track's motion. "I Can't Concentrate" runs the band up and down some musical stairs in an dogged fashion, but like a seasoned military regiment, they do so perfectly in sync, devoid of any unnecessary motion or unintentional misfires. "Nobody Wants to be Had," perhaps the album's most uncharacteristic track, proves to be one of its best, unyielding and propulsive in its dynamic. Rhythmic strumming from guitarists Charlie Looker and Matthew Hough and the pounding drums of Brad Wentworth and Ian Antonio create a succession of repetitive waves of sound, but, as ever, Zs quickly change the pace, with the track shifting into segments of vocal duet by the guitarists over stabs of instrumental accompaniment, with Looker and Hough's intonations in near-perfect unison despite their often rapid and irregular cadence. These excursions make the song's main theme all the more momentous when it returns.
Despite the aural workout that much of the album provides, Zs seem in tune with recommended aerobic practices, concludes with "Z is for Zone," nine minutes of sparingly tinkling bells and the song's titular phrase sung in repetition. The track may not be as much a display of the band's proficiency in composition or playing, but it's not a disappointing end, just another unexpected turn from a band who's better than making them than most. Arms, though, doesn't rely merely on sheer technical complexity or compositional ingenuity; in the end, Zs have made an exceedingly compelling album, and, one can only hope that even with the changes in the group's line-up between 2006 and now (Zs are now a quartet, and only Hilmer and Antonio remain from the Arms era), there's much more exciting music to come.
