Album Review: To Love Someone by Cardinal Bloom

I find it cruel to be assigned to write about an EP entitled To Love Someone. Love is something I know nothing about but, for our esteemed readers, I will try my best.

Hailing from our precious Salt Lake City, Utah, Cardinal Bloom is an indie/alternative rock band made up of Joey St. John (lead vocals, guitar), Josh Thomas (lead guitar), Jacob Silvester (vocals, bass), and Nathan Adair (drums). The band tends to lean a little more heavily on the rock part of their genre over the indie/alternative part. At times, this band reminds me more of a southern rock band that exhibits riffs and a tone closer to the tune of The Allman Brothers Band while getting lost in the jam (flavor: sweet strawberry).

The four songs on this EP encapsulate the full range that Cardinal Bloom has to offer. For example, the title track alone is like three songs in one. The song begins sounding a lot like Provo darlings The Solarists, and progresses into an outro a la Two Door Cinema Club. It then morphs again into what I can only describe as a Queen-sized riff (the band, not mattress size).

The three remaining songs exhibit a similar broad range of sound that shows you exactly what this band is capable of. The EP is full of catchy melodies that distract you from the cute discourse on love and the many ways it pops up in life, requited or not, prevalent in the songs’ lyrics.

Unfortunately, the record falls short of capturing the sense of grandiosity that spanks you firmly when you watch them live. The rock element of indie alternative rock is diminished on the record, leaving you wishing for a tiny bit more of the grit and energy they exhibited at the Velour Battle of the Bands Finals. It’s still worth a listen, but if you get a chance to see them live, it is beyond enjoyable to watch them rock the stage. Hopefully their next record – to be recorded at June Audio in Provo – will capture some more of that Cardinal Bloom magic they so brilliantly exhibit at shows.