As Cardinal Black’s Chris Buck puts it in their set, Tom Jenkins is “too country for the Country 2 Country festival,” and he has a point. Not many – and by that, I mean none that I know of – pre-song stories start with “I wrote this song when I was shearing sheep in New Zealand,” but we are where we are.
That’s the backstory behind “Be There For You,” which is typical of his classy set. Playing solo, as he is here, the power of his lyrics shines through, and he’s essentially a troubadour in this mode. In a way, more raw than the band version, and in keeping with the vibe, these songs mean something. “When The Coal Dust Settles” takes you deep into the heart of the valleys, for example.
“Tom Jones” is a little different, in that it is about a dream that Jenkins had about a karaoke with the man himself, and by the time “Back Roads” is done, my long-standing belief that a great song can be delivered in any way is proven again. Tom Jenkins has them in abundance.
Cardinal Black is playing “Terra Firma” as their first song, and I write a note on my phone: this band is sensational.
In truth, the review could end there because they are. But you’re sort of obligated to give more, so…
We could talk about “Jump In” when backing singer Taylor Cousins comes to the fore, or the moment in “Ain’t My Time” where Tom Hollister says simply: “It’s Chris’s time,” and Chris Buck just lets rip. Possibly we could mention “Rise” or the dreamy “On My Own” (“the slow one off the first one,” as Hollister puts it).
The truth is we could pick any of them, and they’d be a highlight, but what strikes you so clearly is the fun they’re having. The laughs, the jokes, the camaraderie.
Adam Roberts’ drum solo in “Tell Me How It Feels” appears off the cuff, there’s a false start to “Warm Love” before stand-in keys man Michael plays a supreme bit of piano, and there’s a crackle about “Where Do You Go.”
Incredibly, though, they save the best for last. “I’m Ready” broods and builds before each member gets a spot, and it explodes to a crescendo while Hollister piggybacks Cousins around the stage, just because.
Don’t, for one minute, think that the light-hearted nature of this means they aren’t deadly serious about the music. In “Tied Up In Blue” – the gorgeous slow-building blues track they end with – there’s a goosebump moment when Hollister steps from the mic and sings to the room as if he’s busking to his mates, and it is, well, sensational, to use the word we started with.
An incredible voice, wonderful musicianship, and a bond that goes back decades. Cardinal Black has everything you need. They are, quite simply, one of the finest bands around right now.
