Weekend Intermission is our regular feature where we look at an artist or band not from the Nordic countries, just to mix things up a bit.
Ireland’s Cardinals hit the ground running with debut long-player ‘Masquerade’. A confident first chapter, this thirty-five-minute record buzzing with life, with the influence of its many Irish peers, and its own compass vibrating wondrously, unveils a band to throw yourself wholeheartedly behind.
‘She Makes Me Real’ kicks off proceedings with a light dose of panache. ‘St. Agnes’ is a joyous ode to Ireland. Title track ‘Masquerade’ follows hot on its heels and sounds like a band well in a groove, knowing they have stumbled upon a little gem here. Songs are short and sharp, do not outstay their welcome, leave you wanting more, an Irish party just getting started, and ‘where to next?’ it leaves you asking, craving more.
‘I Like You’ is meatier, darker, and its accordion enhances the song as well as indicating again where this music comes from. The ‘like’ and not ‘love’ feels more substantial, less bogus, a message that matters, whoever it is meant for. ‘Over At Last’, the assault that it is, hurtles us towards the midway stage of the record, exploding, taking a tranquiliser for the verses, witnessing it wear off, and then launching itself into its lethal chorus-of-sorts about “crosses around necks”.
It’s all manic vocals, screeching guitars, hammering drums and general musical chaos, and then the calm, it breaks down, the voice steering the ship as all is suddenly gloriously lost, ready to be spectacularly found again. The end of the song glides in both brutal and beautiful fashion toward its ending, an absolute peak.
‘Anhedonia’ dives in, celebrates, gallops, and galvanises the band, the listener, anyone coming near. ‘Barbed Wire’ sounds like one of the band’s go-to songs for newcomers, a three-minute party in its spiky lyrics and jaunty rocking atmosphere, with some brief and brilliant lead guitar soloing. That song has the ideal dose of mayhem of a modern indie disco classic. You might have already heard it and just not known.
Buoyant bass introduces ‘Big Empty Heart;’ and the yearning, loaded vocals sound more vital here, as the accordion drills itself into the subconsciousness taking the song with it. Then, guitars burrow and tremble, and the tiniest piano flurry towards the end sounds so immaculately out of place it is nothing short of majestic.
‘The Burning of Cork’, all incendiary guitar noise, perhaps a brief dip, leaves its message and soon gives way to the six-minute album closer, ‘As I Breathe’. The track is epic and saves some more of the best until the very last.
It commences with slow accordion and vocals that lure one in with expert skill. It does not build until after halfway, and the vocals become more urgent after four minutes, the percussion and other instruments becoming more present, colourful, joyous, until they suddenly vanish again and leave the singer and accordion almost as they were.
The shape of the song defines the band well – doing what they please, doing it magnificently, and looking like a hell of a band for the future. They are going to get better. Much better. What an exciting contemplation indeed. Masquerade is ultimately a rather fine point at which to commence the journey. Let us hope Cardinals are here to stay for the long haul.
Continues after the Spotify link.
Cardinals are touring Ireland and the UK in March 2026 to celebrate their debut album release and then continue into Europe. See https://www.facebook.com/bandcardinals/events for details.
Find them on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bandcardinals
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cardinalsband_/
