ALBUM REVIEW: THE PHAT CARDINALS - GOOD TIMES (EP)
Situated almost slap bang in the centre of the UK, Oxford is not often associated with surfing, but that hasn’t stopped ‘The Phat Cardinals’ from releasing their debut EP ‘Good Times’; a four song collection of fuzzed up surf rock’n’roll. With a total running time of less that ten minutes, ‘Good Times’ is short and sweet, but packed with enough swinging riffs to have you humming along, long after the record has ended.
From start to finish, ‘Good Times’ is exactly what it says on the tin. The guitar tone is gloriously fuzzed up whilst the bass keeps the swinging groove going throughout. The monotonous vocal attack from lead singer Mr Awesome sometimes feel a little repetitive and could definitely benefit from a little more variety. However for the most part the vocals suit the instrumentals and just amplify the sense of all round fun that reverberates throughout the record. It may not be the most diverse or ground breaking record of the year, but ‘The Phat Cardinals’ debut certainly makes enjoyable listening and we would be interested to hear how they progress in the coming years.
6/10
Personal Highlights: Closing song ‘Why Jim Davis’ may be the shortest song on the EP, but it is also the most interesting and diverse. Mr ?????????’s bass playing is at its most creative and Mr Horse really shines through on the drums. A fitting end to a fun EP that teases more to come.
