The Cardinals - Hold On/Hello

Presently, only seven cardinal sins have been identified. But if this Manchester quartet continues in the same humdrum fashion as double A-Side 'Hold On/Hello' then blandness will soon be sitting proudly alongside greed and envy. Full of swaggering poise and sing-along choruses, the band strive for the outside-in camaraderie of Puressence and My Vitriol without reaching the driven ambition of either. Mixed by ex-Manics cohort Mark Freegard, both tracks retain the tightness of the Holy Bible but lacks the stealth or passion to emulate its heady heights. With such sloth-like delivery, The Cardinals run the risk of eternal indie damnation. [Billy Hamilton]