Cardio Star was assembled in the late spring of 2021 in Oakland, California. The band consists of three former bandmates Toby Darci-Maher, Finn Capurro-Durkee and Jonah Lounds as well as June Kagiwada and Imran Sekalala. The band recently released a six-song self-titled EP Cardio Star. They mention “The tracks on Cardio Star reveal a deep love of the post-punk and new wave groups of the 1980s. With aims of fitting somewhere between DEVO and the Birthday Party.”
The band got going with “Landed Drag” and I was immediately attracted to the unique time signatures and angular guitar riffs. I was reminded of Talking Heads on this track. There is a similar inflection that I often heard with David Byrne. The music is so slick and sharp. It’s also quite dynamic. The song is overloaded in a good way with transitions. They seem to have a near endless supply of sounds and melodies. I also loved the wood flute breakdown. It’s an impressive open that displays some serious musicianship. “The Cardio Star (Waltz)” is a little more jazzy and feels more aligned with baroque pop. A more contemporary band came to mind on this song - Grizzly Bear. The song is very smooth and lush. All of the parts were well done but the bassist just kills this song. A little before the two-minute mark the band lands on a very cool groove that gets more intense. The horns are wild sounding. They find a way back to the verse and once again get into this wild section but this time they simmer things down. The last section is even more intense and feels like a wall of sound. “Fruit Head Thing” is a cool sounding song. They mention the Lounge Lizards and this song did sound a little like that with a haunting vibe. Scott Walker and David Lynch came to mind. The song has a number of cool and dynamic grooves but the vocals are arguably the most interesting of any song. There’s a clear affectation which is covered in a sense of urgency and even fear. The music is all over the place in the best way possible. There’s an ambient breakdown, a couple of killer bass lines but the song becomes amazing after the four-minute mark. The drumming is fast and the other instruments come in when they want in an explosive nature. “David Allen Handshake” has strong post-punk vibes but more on the playful side in the spirit of The Talking Heads. In under four minutes the band displays a number of infectious grooves and they also use space effectively here. “Still Thee” is about a minute long and an ominous sounding soundscape that feels like a nightmare going into the closing song. They close with a darker post-punk inspired song. It sounded like a little more upbeat Joy Division type of song. It also contains really infectious vocal melodies. There are some impressive builds here and not unlike the other songs have a lot of melodies and transitions. The musicianship of the band is top notch. Their technical skills are undeniable but more importantly they create captivating songs. I loved this EP. Take a listen.
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