Title: The Cardboard Swords (S/T)
Format Reviewed: MP3
Format Released: 6th November 2015
Reviewed By: Toby Walkley
This week I'm looking at the debut album from the Michigan based indie-pop band The Cardboard Swords.
We begin with (S)he Said, a brisk number that wastes no time getting going with an anguished vocal set over a melodic guitar. This quickly builds as the drums and bass enter and we're into standard indie-pop territory. At only 1:48 long, it's a good opener, and by not overly repeating sections, particularly the big chorus, it comes across as a refreshing listen.
Next is Brian's Song, this time starting with a solid bassline that builds with a tasty melodic lead on the guitar. There's a good sense of dynamic here, letting the instrumentation rise and fall while highlighting each element nicely.
Towards the middle of proceedings, we get Cardigan, probably my favourite track on the album. It's got a soft and intimate vibe about it, beginning with just drums and guitar and gently adding layers as the feel grows. It's what I'd call a montage track in that you can imagine it used over those scenes in a film or TV show where a couple are apart and hurting. Cheesy as that may sound, these kind of tracks work for a reason, and this one works very well.
Next is a short instrumental number titled Your Dad Is Kirk Hammett? that serves as a fitting middle marker to the album. It's got a riff very reminiscent of classic Red Hot Chili Peppers and the lack of vocals make it stand out as the guitars swell and get more distorted as the song goes on.
It's worth noting at this point that this album definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea. It's got a very sentimental, almost tried and tested feel to it, and the vocals, in all their angst-laden glory can feel a bit too much at certain points. The band themselves describe the vocal delivery as sounding like how the Gilmore Girls talk but in song form, and that's a pretty fitting description, as these songs wouldn't feel out of place in any such American TV show. For me, it works though, and there's a definite sense that this is a band that knows how to craft a hooky pop song.
Nickels starts with a huge group sing-along that you can imagine being chanted in both small venues and at festivals. Some gentle side-stick work from the drummer supports the opening half, and you get a sense that the song is about to open up into something huge at any minute. Perhaps the best thing about it is that this doesn't happen in the way you expect, letting the huge group vocals return without the full band attack. This lets them stand out a lot more and makes them a bit different from the usual group sing along we've heard so many times before.
I Swear I'm Usually Good At This slows things down again and has some really beautiful guitar work, supported by some great drum fills and a more subdued vocal. This works in the context of the album as a collection of songs, giving a fitting feeling of pace and dynamic that's often lost in favour of an album full of instant hits.
Closing track Remnants has some complex musicianship including a nice drum break in the middle and an almost math rock guitar line that darts and twists around the rhythm. It's a strong finish, highlighting what the album is about and combining the different elements of the band's sound, such as group chants and melodic hooks to great effect to create a final flourish.
All in all, I think this is a solid debut effort from The Cardboard Swords. It's not brilliantly original, but the composition and thought that's gone into it is plain to see. I get the feeling that we'll be hearing a lot more from this lot in the coming months, and with one well placed song in a popular TV show, they'd do very nicely indeed.
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