"The next great guitar band to emerge from Ireland" Rolling Stone UK

Cork's acclaimed Cardinals announce their much-anticipated debut album 'Masquerade'. Set to land February 13th on tastemaker label So Young Records.

 It's a record that is at once grand and intimate, awash with romance and flickers of holy imagery, and most of all, it's an undeniable fulfilment of the innate promise the band have shown since their earliest beginnings.

These are emotionally expansive songs, some seething with violence, cynicism, or fiery discontent (Anhedonia, The Burning of Cork, Barbed Wire), while others shimmer with a lucid vulnerability. A lively first half contrasts with a darker second half, creating an album with distinct sides. A nod to the band's collective love of vinyl, this shift in tone draws on a variety of expected and unexpected influences, from the fragile sincerity of folk to the theatrical melodrama of gothic rock.