Masquerade by Cardinals is a brilliant debut from a band who seamlessly blends rock with Irish folk. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album. The instrumentals on each track are fantastic, though I found the lyricism a bit blunt and lacking at times. The most unique part of this album for me was the use of accordion, particularly on the track “I Like You.” The instrumentals bear a striking resemblance to In The Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel. Many aspects ... read more
all of these songs kind of sound the same and it got worse throughout the second half but i still liked it
album so good it almost makes me forgive him for being so terrifying in real life
I so badly wanted this to be an indie pop smash hit but it's just... not that.
The lyrics are corny and read like an Olivia Rodrigo parody rather than a serious debut post band breakup. There are some really great moments of vulnerability throughout the album, but they get drowned out by the vapid overproduction. Generally, I think this album suffers most from a lack of direction: one minute it's a self-critical diary entry and the next it's a horny, girl-power anthem. It's ... read more