The Cardinal Points
New York, New York, United States | SELF
Music
Press
On peut dire ce que l’on veut des réseaux sociaux, mais si il y a bien une chose qu’il est impossible de leur reprocher, c’est qu’ils permettent aux artistes de s’assurer aisément une promotion en-dehors de leur territoire de façon rapide, aisée et peu chère (si ce n’est gratuite). C’est le cas de The Cardinal Points, groupe new-yorkais que nous avons découvert grâce à Twitter.
Après quelques Direct messages, ils nous ont fait parvenir en avant-première leur EP six titres.
Crée en 2011, les quatre membres des Cardinal Points (John Washburn au chant et à la guitare, Bick à la basse, Jon Crider à la guitare et au piano, Tom Collins aux fûts) ne sont pourtant pas des débutants. Ayant l’habitude de jouer ensemble depuis la fin des années nonante, ils ont eu l’occasion d’évoluer dans différents groupes avant de lancer leur nouveau projet.
Orientée pop à tendance alternative, leur musique semble influencée par R.E.M. (pour la voix, bien que John Washburn chante plus bas que Michael Stipe) et Oasis (pour les guitares), bonnes références s’il en est, auxquelles sont ajoutés de la trompette et… du thérémine ! Pas banal et bien utilisé.
D’une durée de vingt minutes, ce premier EP démarre sur le morceau qui nous a fait connaître cette bande. ‘Strangest Days‘, titre véritablement taillé pour la radio avec son refrain efficace, sa guitare tantôt appuyée, tantôt aérienne, son thérémine du plus bel effet et un final avec trompette. La perle de ce disque, tout simplement. - LeMurDuSon
On peut dire ce que l’on veut des réseaux sociaux, mais si il y a bien une chose qu’il est impossible de leur reprocher, c’est qu’ils permettent aux artistes de s’assurer aisément une promotion en-dehors de leur territoire de façon rapide, aisée et peu chère (si ce n’est gratuite). C’est le cas de The Cardinal Points, groupe new-yorkais que nous avons découvert grâce à Twitter.
Après quelques Direct messages, ils nous ont fait parvenir en avant-première leur EP six titres.
Crée en 2011, les quatre membres des Cardinal Points (John Washburn au chant et à la guitare, Bick à la basse, Jon Crider à la guitare et au piano, Tom Collins aux fûts) ne sont pourtant pas des débutants. Ayant l’habitude de jouer ensemble depuis la fin des années nonante, ils ont eu l’occasion d’évoluer dans différents groupes avant de lancer leur nouveau projet.
Orientée pop à tendance alternative, leur musique semble influencée par R.E.M. (pour la voix, bien que John Washburn chante plus bas que Michael Stipe) et Oasis (pour les guitares), bonnes références s’il en est, auxquelles sont ajoutés de la trompette et… du thérémine ! Pas banal et bien utilisé.
D’une durée de vingt minutes, ce premier EP démarre sur le morceau qui nous a fait connaître cette bande. ‘Strangest Days‘, titre véritablement taillé pour la radio avec son refrain efficace, sa guitare tantôt appuyée, tantôt aérienne, son thérémine du plus bel effet et un final avec trompette. La perle de ce disque, tout simplement. - LeMurDuSon
When The Cardinal Points hit our inbox, it was love at first listen. Compared to REM and Oasis, and self-compared to a Summer Teeth Wilco era-meets The National, there are comparisons abound. But compare all you want, John Washburn’s vocals melt perfectly into the wide array of musical accompaniment to support a unique approach to chamber pop. Brooklyn’s Cardinal Points are simply amazing.
The band’s EP, I Promised You Mermaids, But The Ocean Was Empty, was released on September 18. You can listen to it all on their Bandcamp page. Keep an eye on these fellas. - Music Under Fire
When The Cardinal Points hit our inbox, it was love at first listen. Compared to REM and Oasis, and self-compared to a Summer Teeth Wilco era-meets The National, there are comparisons abound. But compare all you want, John Washburn’s vocals melt perfectly into the wide array of musical accompaniment to support a unique approach to chamber pop. Brooklyn’s Cardinal Points are simply amazing.
The band’s EP, I Promised You Mermaids, But The Ocean Was Empty, was released on September 18. You can listen to it all on their Bandcamp page. Keep an eye on these fellas. - Music Under Fire
For a guy with a theremin player at his disposal, singer/songwriter John Washburn is a bit too hard on himself. A thoughtful band in the Indie Britpop vein of Blur or Pulp, The Cardinal Points’ debut EP ‘I Promised You Mermaids, But The Ocean Was Empty’ finds Washburn with some mixed up plans, but good intentions nonetheless. It’s a landscape of frozen dreams and tumbling anxieties on the pounding ‘Circle the Sun’ and theremin-kissed album opener ‘The Strangest Days.’ My favorite, title track ‘I Promised You Mermaids,’ is an epic tour of these settings, where Washburn tries to repair a disappointing relationship. An impressive debut, The Cardinal Points are as bouncy as they are stark, and I’m looking forward to seeing them announce some more dates. So pack your bags and take a visit. The album is streaming on their bandcamp. - Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) - The Deli Magazine
For a guy with a theremin player at his disposal, singer/songwriter John Washburn is a bit too hard on himself. A thoughtful band in the Indie Britpop vein of Blur or Pulp, The Cardinal Points’ debut EP ‘I Promised You Mermaids, But The Ocean Was Empty’ finds Washburn with some mixed up plans, but good intentions nonetheless. It’s a landscape of frozen dreams and tumbling anxieties on the pounding ‘Circle the Sun’ and theremin-kissed album opener ‘The Strangest Days.’ My favorite, title track ‘I Promised You Mermaids,’ is an epic tour of these settings, where Washburn tries to repair a disappointing relationship. An impressive debut, The Cardinal Points are as bouncy as they are stark, and I’m looking forward to seeing them announce some more dates. So pack your bags and take a visit. The album is streaming on their bandcamp. - Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) - The Deli Magazine
Discography
The Strangest Days single
I Promised You Mermaids, but the Ocean Was Empty EP
Photos
Bio
Based in New York, The Cardinal Points are an indie rock outfit who imbues a crafted Britpop-ish sound with American roots rock tendencies (or maybe the other way around?), inspiring comparisons to groups like Blur and Pulp or REM. Exploring what The Deli NYC called, a landscape of frozen dreams and tumbling anxieties, they weave easy melodic gestures and occasional electronic quirks supported by shimmering guitars atop a muscular rhythmic foundation.
The title of their debut EP, I Promised You Mermaids, but the Ocean Was Empty, captures the mood. Its slightly absurd and a little forlorn but kind of funny at the same time, offers ringleader John Washburn. The punch line pulls you in without quite giving it away.
Formed in 2011 after Washburn enlisted old friends and sometime collaborators Jon Crider (guitar and keys), Bick (bass, mostly), it was originally meant to just be a studio project. At the beginning, we had just signed up to play on a few songs, says Bick, Next thing you know were a band again. Painstakingly recorded in fits and starts over the course of the next year, Mermaids was finally released in the fall of 2012 to a warm response, with The Deli NYC calling it an impressive debut and Philly blog Music Under Fire saying it was love at first listen.
They work out of a makeshift basement studio in a commercial space in Long Island City, Queens. While the environment is humble (they often have to wait for passing trains to record takes), it affords them the luxury of collective exploration without worrying about the clock. The end result rewards the attentive listener with little gems the reveal themselves on repeated listening, from the Theremin that opens The Strangest Days to the backwards guitars that close the Circle the Sun to the trumpets that adorn Ill Get To You, Somehow.
Since the release of Mermaids, theyve been performing locally at NY venues such as the Mercury Lounge and Brooklyns Rock Shop. Meanwhile, theyre planning a series of singles to be released in 2013, with the first oneThe Cure meets The National inspired Fade Outdue in February. These will eventually be collected into an album (or possibly a couple EPs) inspired in part by Bowies Berlin records, with a pop/rock side and an experimental/art side.
As Music Under Fire suggests: Keep an eye on these fellas.
Band Members
Links
