Cardinals at The Savoy (Photos)

Fresh off the release of their debut album Masquerade, the Kinsale-born quintet Cardinals underpinned why they are touted for stardom and have outgrown the "rising star" status at the newly reopened Savoy, Cork. The sound system is crisp—essential for a band like Cardinals, whose sound relies on the contrast between delicate accordion flourishes and wall-of-noise guitar solos. Frontman Euan Manning has evolved into a formidable focal point. He possesses a captivating, haunted stage presence with a "keening" vocal style which lies somewhere between a poetic whisper and a desperate wail that has a magnetic draw that makes you unable to resist.