It’s not often you come across a four-piece band that puts piano on an equal level with the rhythm and lead guitar whilst also highlighting saxophone. Cardboard City is such a band. Thankfully though, the saxophone never comes across as gimmicky, and each instrument settles nicely into its own groove and its own appropriate pocket. Be it the bouncy walking bass lines, the riffing of the piano, the saxophone sections, the guitar solos, or the interesting drum fills that leave gaps in all the places you don’t expect, each instrument fits in it’s place and never lingers too long.
As a debut EP, the mix has to be complimented. The raspy vocals cut through nicely, and the bass manages to sit comfortably alongside the piano and guitar without any instrument being overpowered as the drums drive the songs along in the background. Standout tracks include the live take of “Everything and More”, a delicate acoustic track that ends the EP, and the opening track “Fall”, which bounces along just willing you to dance before breaking into a saxophone solo, ultimately ending in a gloriously messy crescendo.
~ That One Deaf Music Critic