www.myspace.com/cardboardcowboy
Cardboard Cowboy hail from Leeds, West Yorkshire and have been winning over audiences on the regional gig scene for several years. They have released two albums on their own Slapdash Recordings label, “Unload Your Head” (2004) and “Shorthand For Love” (2005). They also played the Carling Leeds Festival in 2005 and toured the United States in 2006.
Cardboard Cowboy create “guitar-pop” music in the purest sense – catchy and accessible, rather than soulless and bland. “Zebra And Me” is the new 2-track single and shows a band continuing to mature as they successfully explore and develop this style.
The delicate introduction of “Zebra And Me”, (which doffs its’ cap to Blind Melon’s classic No Rain) gives way to a melodic, summery guitar-pop song with an almost funky bass-line. The song builds towards rockier guitar riff complete with a joyful “Woo-Hoo” vocal, before a short piano melody leads the song out. The ebb and flow gives the song an epic feel despite being little over 5 minutes in length.
“Don’t Know What You Want” is next, and for this reviewer is the slightly stronger song. It continues to be accessible guitar-pop, but in a similar way to Bright Eyes for example, adds electronic sounds to the guitar, bass and drums mix. Indeed, there is an almost disco section about halfway through the song which shows an experimental side to the band. It works very well.
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The vocal style is similar to Stephen Malkmus (ex-Pavement) in that it seems to be quite lazily delivered. This however, is a complement as it fits in with music that is reminiscent of this laid-back Americana, without being just a carbon copy of any particular band.
While they may not be groundbreaking (and let’s be honest few bands are), there is nothing wrong with a band doing what they do – namely, melodic guitar-pop with a nod towards both 60s rock and American alt-rock of the 90s/00s – and doing it well.
This band is just one lucky break away from much deserved wider recognition. Go to a Cardboard Cowboy gig and pick up a copy of this single for free while you’re there, so you can tell your friends you saw them before they were famous!!
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