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The Cardinal Sin

Hurry Up and Wait (2006)
Grey Flight Records

Reviewer Rating:

User Rating:

Contributed by: Brian
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on April 25th 2006

I'd be lying if I said I shared the same admiration the Cardinal Sin was receiving upon the release of their debut EP, Oil and Water, last year. Any time I tried listening to the songs I was confronted with a nü-emo, whiny, homogenized version of Goddamnit-era Alkaline Trio. That's not the type of "revitalization" I would come to expect when taking such a significant influence from such a record.

Hurry Up and Wait has rectified these problems wonderfully. The Cardinal Sin sound more honest and rock-based, combining these newer traits with a raw, fresh approach to the style, all the while writing songs that are catchy and full of sing-along ushering. While they're certainly continuing to draw blood from the Trio's Asian Man era, they seem to reflect the musically upbeat moods and bold choruses of the band's Vagrant era, turning in an energetic, creative hybrid on their debut full-length, with sure hints of Smoking Popes' modest melodies.

The strong first track "Eye-Opener" instantly makes an impression with a more mid-tempo chorus compared to any of its other accompanying tracks and a line repeated enough just to sick but minimized to avoid nausea. It's also our first impression of guitarist / lead singer James Russell, whose sincere, off-key voice takes qualities from both Matt Skiba's early days and from his Minneapolis brethren Justin Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack. Its immediate follower, "Under Your Skin" features a spectacularly crunchy guitar lead, the first of many the band throws down throughout the course of Hurry Up that are woefully compelling and thankfully varied. "Skin" in particular is rather urgent, and the band seems especially effective in this gear; "Keep You Guessing" fits this description as well, slowing down briefly for its chorus involving drummer Becky Hanten's left-right fills, with a subtle cameo from the Lawrence Arms' Brendan Kelly coming in at the end. A solid second half features "He's a Space Case," which out of any of the tracks here could easily be a single; it's one of the slower, more desperate songs, but it's got the requisite hook and a buddy guitar riff tagging along that works quite well.

Seriously improved and quarterbacking a rigid songwriting ability, the Cardinal Sin are possibly the best band following in the Alkaline Trio's footsteps yet. I can't wait to see what happens if and when they choose to step off the trail and make their own imprints.

Eye-Opener

STREAM
Light Years Behind
Good for Nothing

E-CARD

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Lucas (May 1, 2006)

P-Wallet are broken up. I dont know what everyone is up to now.

Anonymous (April 30, 2006)

This record rules.

cash_money_hustla (April 29, 2006)

Anyone know what happened to The Prosperity Wallet? Electric Noose was awesome.

Anonymous (April 29, 2006)

are you all retarded? it has always been 3.5.

darkstarm (April 29, 2006)

When I saw this review the first time it had three stars. What is going on?

Scruffy (April 27, 2006)

"remember when alkaline trio used to be cadillac blindside's opener? weird."

Remember when I said that Cadillac Blindside ripped off Alkaline Trio? No?
That's because I didn't. I said they sounded like them. The two bands sounded similar. And you'll have a hard time arguing that, as the copy of "These Liquid Lungs" that I bought back in 2002 had a sticker that said "For fans of Alkaline Trio and Dillinger Four". Okay? Is that enough to shut that argument up?

Anonymous (April 27, 2006)

This is terrible.

Grey Flight guys need to get Whale|Horse out. Quickly.

Anonymous (April 27, 2006)

remember when alkaline trio used to be cadillac blindside's opener? weird.

Scruffy (April 26, 2006)

Wyzo:
It's not the catchy pop choruses, or the location of the band that's causing these Alkaline Trio comparisons.
I haven't even heard more than a song off of this album. I don't know if IT sounds like Alk3, but the comparisons come because Cadillac Blindside sounded so much like the Trio, whether by causation or sheer coincidence, and people are going to look for that in this band, even though this is a new band.

Anonymous (April 26, 2006)

bands that existed before or during alk3 early existence sounded like alk3......in fact didn't the alkaline trio invent pop choruses?

Do bad religion rip off the alkaline trio?

is all midwestern music doomed to be compared to the larry arms and alkaline trio?

Did those bands ask for that? Do they want that?

this band is typical, in the typical midwestern sense, which is a good thing, a great thing most often. Why does everyone need head of department bands, why do you still read bad music writing, why do you let cokeheads write all the good songs, what difference does any of it make?

Bands making records so people can download them and *buy* the tshirts is like paying a prostitute for conversation, its just fundamentally wrong. Buy the records, screw the whore, and quit jerking around.

quit being shitty people.

wyzo

Anonymous (April 26, 2006)

I love the song that's on this Month's AMP Sampler.

Score is for that song.

greyflight (April 26, 2006)

Besides, if anyone's capable of padding our pockets, I really don't think it's Grey Flight.

Hey now.

tylerdurden8136 (April 25, 2006)

such a good album that'll probably end up getting overlooked.

InaGreendase (April 25, 2006)

Wasn't this 3 stars earlier? Did they add a half star? They did the same with the new NOFX album. Was 3 stars and then they move it to 3.5 stars.

Then you're seeing things. I posted both reviews and they were both 3.5 stars from the get-go.

Besides, if anyone's capable of padding our pockets, I really don't think it's Grey Flight.

Anonymous (April 25, 2006)

Wasn't this 3 stars earlier? Did they add a half star? They did the same with the new NOFX album. Was 3 stars and then they move it to 3.5 stars.

Anonymous (April 25, 2006)

I love this album, there needs to be more bands that sound like this....

kindofalongwaydown (April 25, 2006)

Awful, so fucking awful.

Anonymous (April 25, 2006)

I really like this band, but they totally sound like alk3. especially their ep. if you can't see the similarities, you're an idiot.

Anonymous (April 25, 2006)

Weird. As I read the posts below, all I see is hate. Where's all the people "jizzing?"

P.S. I happen to like this album.

Anonymous (April 25, 2006)

The best part of this entire thing is Chris McCaughan.

I don't get why everyone's jizzing all over this shit.

leifkills (April 25, 2006)

These guys are pretty bland.

cubaricho (April 25, 2006)

good record, horrible review - alkaline trio? come on.

danperrone (April 25, 2006)

like i said...the music is tame, and the vocals are atrocious

but i expected this kind of score from whoever ended up reviewing this

Anonymous (April 25, 2006)

its good to see the reviewer has a comparison attention span of 2-3 years.

Good record from people who aren't in high school, but clearly can be compared to bands they consider peers as if they are elders. Review suffers the same pitchfork media disease of making music institutional, with all the same official histories of any other bullshit institution.

"clearly here the cardinal sin is channeling the pop touch of vagrant era".....I mean, this is like textbook sex, music defined by "see also- ". Just listen to the damn record.

Anyway, I love their drummer. She has the skills that pay the MN heating bills.

wyzo