The Paper Kites' fifth outing is warmly familiar and cohesive, rife with their indie folk tunings

Roses is the fifth studio album to come from the australian outfit, fronted by Sam Bentley. And whilst it doesn’t deviate too much from what we’ve come to expect from them, it certainly demonstrates their knack for picking collaborators wisely and remaining true to the calming indie-folk sound that made their name.

Most bands would be content with a quintet of musicians from which to draw upon. Not so for The Paper Kites, who put together a glittering international (and all female) cast for Roses, inviting an extra guest vocalist for each of the ten tracks on this album.

Portuguese multi-instrumentalist MARO helps sets the tone on opening track "Walk Above The Town", laying down a warm and nostalgic feel. American singer Aoife O’Donovan adds a soothing bluegrass twang on the heartfelt "Climb On Your Tears" and British born Lucy Rose delivers gorgeous harmonies alongside Bentley on the lovelorn "For All You Give". Swedish artist and Amason frontwoman Amanda Bergman provides an established charm amidst the soothing organs on "Crossfire" and Irish singer Rosie Carney follows up from her bold re-imagining of Radiohead’s The Bends with an equally moving contribution to the mournful closer "By My Side".

The result is a warmly cohesive album - each track undeniably born out of the same mould, but equally with its own character and charm, and each with its own story to tell. Depending on whether you’re a glass half-empty or glass half-full kind of person, it’s up to you to decide whether the lack of any particular highlights on this album reflects the fact that there are also no weak moments.

Put Roses on in the background and there’s no doubt it provides a soothing accompaniment. But when you stop what you’re doing and devote your focus to the track that happens to be playing at that point, there’s the guarantee of rich reward waiting for you every time. By inviting a talented selection of artists to take part, The Paper Kites have ensured that each song earns its place and, as intended, acts as a gateway to a world of other musicians waiting to be explored.

Bentley himself says "if you were to walk along a busy street, and something caught your eye – something small that had no business being there - but you picked it up and put it in your pocket. You couldn't say why, but for some reason, you kept it with you. To me, that's our music." On Roses, each track has the potential to be a newly discovered gem, depending on who it is that’s listening.