Cardinal
by Pinegrove
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
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  1. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Feb 10, 2016
    95
    While the lyrics are what everyone will talk about, it’s Hall’s voice that makes them work. That insistent yelp, straining to create melody without being beholden to it.
  2. Consequence
    Feb 11, 2016
    83
    Pinegrove builds and burns a lot on Cardinal, and they’re left with the hard-earned knowledge that everything’s probably going to be alright. It’s not the stuff teenage anthems are made of, maybe, but maturity comes with its own small pleasures.
  3. Kerrang!
    Jun 30, 2016
    80
    These eight tracks bind the smart emo of Brand New to the rootsy alt.country of a Bright Eyes or Ryan Adams, stroking nostalgia and tugging the heartstrings throughout. [2 Jul 2016, p.52]
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  5. DIY Magazine
    Jun 30, 2016
    80
    What’s unique about Pinegrove is how they compress uncertainty, doubt and fear without being overbearing.
  6. Boston Globe
    Feb 17, 2016
    80
    Simple and understated, Pinegrove grafts unassuming banjo and pedal-steel textures to classic slacker indie rock, making each moment as engaging as the next.
  7. AllMusic
    Feb 12, 2016
    80
    What they lack in showiness or branding, they make up for in honesty and slightly battered spirit.
  8. Spin
    Feb 10, 2016
    80
    Pinegrove could have ridden a self-assured record like this to widespread indie acclaim. Instead, it feels like an act of generosity, a record lovingly crafted and intimately written, full of sounds, observations, and emotional realizations that you didn’t know you wanted in 2016, but, in fact, needed desperately.
  9. Punknews.org (Staff)
    Feb 10, 2016
    80
    Cardinal feels cinematic, colourful and is a great fine-tuning of the promise shown on past EPs.... A heavy listen, but one that's worth it.
  10. Exclaim
    Feb 10, 2016
    80
    The Montclair, New Jersey's band's sound--off-the-cuff, loose heart-on-sleeve indie-rock cut with Americana--is the perfect vessel for that kind of premature twilight, anxiety and loss. Above all else, it feels so goddamned natural.
  11. Pitchfork
    Feb 10, 2016
    80
    Cardinal feels like one big determined push outward, an album-length fight against solipsism without losing your sense of self in the process.
  12. Pretty Much Amazing
    Mar 18, 2016
    75
    There’s no flash here, just a finely crafted batch of searingly personal indie rock songs. Unless you never had to grow up, it will resonate.
  13. Pretty Much Amazing
    Mar 18, 2016
    75
    There’s no flash here, just a finely crafted batch of searingly personal indie rock songs. Unless you never had to grow up, it will resonate.

Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Best Album of 2016

User Reviews

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User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 49 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 49
  3. Negative: 3 out of 49
  1. dpjahnke
    Mar 9, 2016
    10
    The song-writing is pure, melodic, thoughtful and so true to young adult life in America today. The singer's voice brings to life the honestyThe song-writing is pure, melodic, thoughtful and so true to young adult life in America today. The singer's voice brings to life the honesty in the songs and the band backs him up wonderfully. This is worth your investment if you like power pop that reflects both our struggle and glimmers of hope.… Full Review »
  2. Custom_Concerns
    Feb 20, 2016
    8
    Cardinal is a haphazard, erratic, stream-of-consciousness mental breakdown under the guise of a catchy, accessible indie rock/alt-countryCardinal is a haphazard, erratic, stream-of-consciousness mental breakdown under the guise of a catchy, accessible indie rock/alt-country record. In 30 short minutes, Pinegrove delivered the best straightforward rock album of the year so far. The lead singer's emo-country twang fits the lo-fi crunch of the instrumentation perfectly, giving the album a fantastic sense of immediacy and authenticity. When lo-fi production is done well, a record may sound more pure, as it were, and less unfinished. Cardinal sounds like a basement performance played with reckless abandon, and I say that in the best way possible. 2016 has been off to a rocky start, and this record is one of few that has me genuinely excited.

    85/100    … Full Review »
  3. MrAnthead
    Feb 17, 2016
    10
    Cardinal is a very accessible album that features plenty of depth and lush instrumentation in their sound. The album gives off a sort ofCardinal is a very accessible album that features plenty of depth and lush instrumentation in their sound. The album gives off a sort of "nuanced" optimism that reveals some doubts to some of the main meanings to their songs. The singers voice blends in very well with the sort of style and instrumentation that each song features. Can't wait for more.… Full Review »
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