Cardinal Black - Midnight At The Valencia

‘Midnight at The Valencia’ continues the path laid down on ‘January Came Close.’ Cardinal Black fill the album with carefully crafted blues-rockers, perfectly balanced by some slower more languid tracks. What is evident from the very start of ‘Midnight at The Valencia’ is how much Cardinal Black have grown in the last three years. The playing is tighter, and the songs pack a much greater punch, musically and emotionally. The choice of instruments has also widened from the traditional guitar, drums, and bass of their earlier work.

There are new tricks on show as well. Album opener ‘Ride Home’ has a pop sensibility about it that makes it an excellent choice to kick proceedings off with. There’s some lovely drum work from Adam Roberts and an atmospheric bagpipe solo from Alastair Campbell, and Finlay MacDonald. The track segues perfectly into the heavier groove of ‘Falling.’ Chris Buck comes to the fore here with some terrific guitar work that manages to deliver the feel of Pink Floyd and the great blues performers of the late sixties and early seventies like Cream, Hendrix, and Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. Tom Hollister’s vocals are gritty and punchy, matching the theme of the song as he searches for something that he realises was the person he left behind.

The band lean into their more soulful side on the next couple of tracks, ‘Racing Cars’ and ‘Breathe.’ ‘Racing Cars’ opens with a quiet piece on the piano before Tom Hollister’s heartfelt vocals come in. There’s more imaginative guitar work here from Chris Buck but just when you want it to stretch out and play on, it’s over, and ‘Breathe’ has begun, its emotive phrasing burning its way through the grooves. There are some powerful backing vocals laid down here and Chris Buck shines again with another of those blues-drenched guitar solos he’s becoming so good at.

That brings us to ‘Keep on Running,’ not the old Spencer Davis Group track but, perhaps, a sly nod to Steve Winwood who gave the band a helping hand in their early days. The track was dropped as the lead single from the album and a fitting choice it is too. It’s a high tempo blues rocker driven by the drum and bass pairing of Adam Roberts and Sam Williams. power their way through the track. He’s well supported by the catchy singalong backing vocals courtesy of Jade MacRae. Chris Buck provides another example of why he’s a great blues-rock guitarist and becoming very highly regarded amongst his peers. This one is going to explode in concert.

From the blues-rock of ‘Keep On Running’ we drop, via a short walk and a slammed door into the ‘live in the studio’ rootsy sound of ‘Morning Light.’ It’s a clever change of pace at the midpoint of the album and shows a more vulnerable and tender side of the band.

‘Need More Time,’ takes another turn from the blues-rock that band usually trades in. There’s a distinct whiff of Americana on display here that follows on nicely from the roots rock of ‘Morning Light.’ The band adds some lovely harmonica and organ parts that sends the track into territory you would expect to find the likes of Counting Crows, Jesse Malin, or Willie Nile inhabiting.

The band get funky on ‘Holding My Breath.’ The rhythm section of Adam Roberts and Sam Williams are pushed right up in the mix. Once more, Chris Buck proves his guitar prowess with a languid piece of guitar work, which has that Dave Gilmour/Pink Floyd vibe going again. You can almost feel Tom Hollister holding himself back on the vocals. He delivers a restrained performance to allow the backing vocals from Jade MacRae to push through and harmonise with his.

On ‘Push/Pull’ it’s not just Tom Hollister who’s holding back. This is the most intimate track on the album. Hollister’s vocals carry the song along with subtle support from the band. Chris Buck’s gently picked guitar showing another side to this talented guitarist. The emotion carries on into ‘Adeline.’ Tom Hollister’s vocals are centre stage again and he gives a wholly mesmerizing performance on this track. He’s ably supported by some melodic guitar playing from Chris Buck. The track builds with simmering intensity before it erupts in the finale.

With the end of the album approaching Cardinal Black knock the musical ball into another field. As the music takes shape we have jangly guitars, Hammond organs and more harmonica work. I can only describe this track as Dylanesque with a side order of Tom Petty. It’s a cracking track highlighting that Cardinal Black won’t be tied down or defined by one genre, much like their blues-rock peers Elles Bailey and When Rivers Meet.

Ten tracks down, with no drop off in quality amongst them, Cardinal Black, like a good poker player, have saved one final ace to drop right at the death. ‘Your Spark (Blows Me To Pieces)’ is quite simply immense. For every time I’ve played the album, I’ve played this track twice. Even though I’ve praised him throughout this review, Chris Buck still manages to blow me away here. Tom Hollister’s not far behind as he pulls the emotional strings of the song together leaving the listener drained as the track slowly fades into nothing.

The sound of the album is full of energy while maintaining a polished studio sheen, courtesy of Cyrill Camenzind who both produced and engineered the album. From the way Tom Hollister’s raw, gritty, yearning vocals hold the songs together and bring the album home in the final flourish that is ‘Your Spark (Blows Me To Pieces),’ to how Chris Buck’s expressive playing feels effortless. He plays with real feeling, each piece weaving its way through the music. The genre-spanning mix is managed skilfully, drawing listeners into each track.

It all goes into making ‘Midnight at the Valencia’ a resounding win for Cardinal Black. The lyrical depth and emotional performances and the way the recurring themes of survival, need, and looking into ourselves run through the album all contribute towards making this one of my favourite releases of 2025 so far.

On this album Cardinal Black have delivered a diverse, entertaining, and hugely listenable album. Every track takes its own path and delivers something a little bit different to the one before. This is a bold step forward from Cardinal Black and it delivers everything that a listener could want in the space of forty-five minutes. ‘Midnight at the Valencia’ isn’t simply a second album, it’s a glorious success that signposts the many paths Cardinal Black can travel in the future.

‘Midnight at the Valencia’ is available on CD, LP and on Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify. It was released on the 23rd of May through Jump In Records.