Shining Mirrors perfectly finds the intersection of Phil Spector-style pop and punk on “Cardiac”, the first single from the trio’s self-titled EP out 3 November. The hooks are immediate, and the track’s warm confidence wins us over within seconds; for two minutes and 51 seconds, we can revel in the trio’s remarkable combination of innocence and danger. Frontman Drew Robinson delivers a vocal performance reminiscent of Joey Ramone at his peak, suggesting at the tune’s outset that the band give it one more try.
It’s not all throwback though it the music will no doubt remind some of early rock ‘n’ roll (Chuck Berry) and Jimi Hendrix’s most imaginative musical reaches. Robinson is joined on the EP by bassist Reni Lane plus drummers William Kuehn and Parker Kindred (Lakis Pavlou has since joined as a permanent member).
Written and recorded in the group’s Brooklyn loft where Robinson is the building manager, the EP and this single track promise to provide listeners with a little bit of escape and a whole lot of musical pleasure. “Cardiac” may not be an overly complex number musically, but the lyrics are filled with plenty of conflicts.
“It’s a song about seeing a girl in a subway car, falling in love and watching her go her separate way up the stairs, never seeing her again”, he says. “The conflict comes with the brain reminding you of the ‘the girl at home’ but the heart pounding for the person in front of you.”