CATHEDRALS & CARS

Words by Ben Blackburn

I’ve harboured an effervescent love of acoustic and folk music since my early teens, however as I progressed through the inevitable years of emotional angst (which only I understood, obviously), and with the rise of several false hearted singer-songwriters, this love was regrettably sidelined. This said, when I come across a band that can stir those emotions of yesteryear with a sultry acoustic guitar, or humbly bare percussion, I am instantly absorbed. Cathedrals & Cars are thankfully, and fantastically, one of those bands.

Leaving No Reminders by Cathedrals & Cars

After first meeting while on the same Music Technology course, Cathedrals & Cars operates as a trio based in Bury St. Edmunds. Having already appeared on BBC Suffolk Introducing, with whom the band recorded a session, Cathedrals & Cars recently released their debut EP entitled ‘Sky Lanterns’. While the release of the EP garnered the band a strong local following, it seems to have otherwise fallen under the radar of most blogs and online publications. However this is no slight on the band, rather it only highlights how early this trio is into their career and, as a result, the immense talent they have demonstrated in such a short period of time.

‘Leaving No Reminders’ stands as a beautiful yet melancholic tale of withdrawal, with Jack Stevens’ vocals tinged with a slight dose of The Smiths, and his lyrics embossed with a sense of Bombay Bicycle Club. However these comparisons are merely influences in a sound that has been consolidated into a blend of acoustic folk that is encapsulates a genuine sense of integrity, which can oscillate between intimate and heartbreaking, to a rejuvenating passion. Wise beyond their years, Cathedrals & Cars have reignited my effervescent love for acoustic music, and I for one cannot wait to hear more.

Today’s tip comes courtesy of Lee Sulivan from Deaf Surfer Records