From St. Louis to the Vatican, the world is littered with famous Cardinals. But Ireland’s rising sons may end up being the most notable of them all. The Cork collective, who soundtracked our Irish banger playlist last March, line up debut album Masquerade for a February 13 release, and to get us worked up nicely have this week released “I Like You,” a romantic, accordion-led romp of sonic grandeur and theatrical melodrama, continuing a run of haunting indie rock and expansive post-punk where every time we hear a Cardinals song on satellite radio we ask aloud “Who the fuck is this?” before casting brightened eyes on the player. “After a very long period of not working on anything, we started and finished this some bright morning last February in our practice studio,” says frontman Euan Manning. “It felt cathartic, a completely grounding moment after feeling slightly lost for months.” Cardinals are set to kick off a North American tour here in the Boston area, going underground for the very intimate Rockwell Theatre in Somerville on March 7. That’s going to be quite a spectacle.
Photo Credit: Ariane Quignon