Irish six-piece Cardinals have just announced the hotly anticipated release of their their self titled debut EP due on 7th June via So Young records and given us another glimpse of the record with the release of the brooding single ‘If I Could Make You Care.’
Frontman Euan Manning said, “The title was stolen from Frank Sinatra’s ‘I Could Make You Care’. It was co-written between myself and Oskar and we worked away at it quietly until it became something special between us. The arrangement with the band brought the drama and scale, it grew into something bigger than we expected. It was a great relief to write the song, like we had come to the end of some part of our lives.”
Merging breathy intense, introspective vocals with ornamented guitar riffs and the trad flair of the melodeon they build to an impassioned crescendo bursting into a rich widescreen shoegaze wall of sound and soul stirring cathartic vocal climax as he sings ” Nothing beats the thrill of loving you,” hushing before percussive steps explode, into a glorious earth-shattering slant of dreamy reverbed soundscape taking the listener on a journey thorough the gothic dark and light recesses of the psyche. An expertly crafted track, ending with the crack of thunder to echo the brooding and dramatic themes of the single.
This single follows ‘Unreal,’ released in February, a buoyant follow-up to last year’s celebrated single, ‘Roseland” a song that conjured up a gothic alchemy of shoegaze and alt music for an ambitious genre-busting soundscape. ‘Unreal‘ acted as a direct counterpart to the broodiness of ‘Roseland‘ fused with a fervent, youthful energy and clear pop sensibility at play within the group. Opening with a blast of feedback the track bounces with lush melodic ambition, soaring with glorious hazy reverb and vocal catharsis. It has all the hallmarks of an instant classic.
All three tracks appear on their self title upcoming EP and shows the scope of their musical craft. Speaking of the upcoming single, Cardinals said,
“It’s a collection of songs that were written when we were living and playing in Cork City. It’s pop music at its core, personal, youthful, and, if you can see past the chaos and noise it’s extremely warm. There’s a narrative if you’ve got the heart to look for it. It’s our first EP and we’re looking forward to it being out there for everyone to hear.”
The EP will be released on limited edition 12″ Cream vinyl and there will be a Rough Trade exclusive edition which will include both the vinyl and a lyric booklet. The six songs of the Cardinals EP were recorded with Richie Kennedy (U2, Interpol)
Following a filmed performance for Other Voices in their homeland, and the enviable support of Fontaines D.C.’s Grian Chatten, who called them “one of my favourite new bands” during an interview with BBC Radio 1, the band will perform at this year’s The Great Escape alongside a first headline tour of the UK & Ireland in May.
Tour Dates:
MAY
9th: Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
11th: Yes (Basement), Manchester
12th: McChullis, Glasgow
14th: The Windmill, London
15th: The Joiners, Southampton
16th: The Great Escape, Brighton
24th: Róisín Dubh, Galway
25th: Kasbah Social Club, Limerick
26th: Cyprus Avenue, Corkn.
Cardinals self titled EP Cardinals is out on June 7th on So Young Records. The track list is as follows:
1. Twist and Turn
2. Unreal
3. Roseland
4. Amphetamines
5. Nineteen
6. If I Could Make You Care
PHOTO CREDIT: EMILYN CARDONA
