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Artist
The Cardinal Points
5+ albums
indie popindie rockchamber popThe Curewilco
about
"The Strangest Days," the first song on The Cardinal Points debut EP opens sparsely, with distorted drums and bass setting up an eerie Theramin riff before finally succumbing to an ecstatic wash of Big Guitars. Crafting a rich sound that borrows from the traditions of indie rock, chamber pop, and classic NY underground, The Cardinal Points weave easy melodic gestures and California (by way of Liverpool) harmonies supported by shimmering guitars atop a muscular rhythmic foundation. The title, I Promised You Mermaids, but the Ocean Was Empty, captures the mood of the collection. "It's slightly absurd and a little forlorn but kind of funny at the same time," offers John Washburn (vocals/guitar). "The punch line pulls you in without quite giving it away." Washburn formed the band in 2011 with longtime friends and compatriots, Jon Crider (guitar, piano), Bick (bass, mostly) and Tommy Collins (drums). Mermaids was self-recorded in an makeshift studio in the basement of a commercial building in Long Island City, Queens over a year and a half. Since they hadn’t performed together before as The Cardinal Points prior to recording, the process was as much about discovery as interpretation. "Part of the goal of the project was to embrace the process, the struggle," says Washburn. "We wanted the record to reveal itself to us, as much as we were dictating it." User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
