After several releases and years of touring, Pinegrove, hailing from Montclair, New Jersey, deliver with Cardinal their most accomplished work to date. Their captivating blend of indie rock, pop, and country appears here more precise, vibrant, and addictive than ever. Evan Stephens Hall, singer and guitarist, is joined by brothers Zack (drums) and Nick Levine (guitar), a core group that has played together since childhood. Hall expresses his emotions with colorful and dynamic nuances, traversing the eight tracks of the album with memorable energy and passion. His vocal delivery pleasantly evokes Will Oldham and Doug Martsch of Built to Spill. The album opens with the melancholic nostalgia of Old Friends and reaches an emotional peak with the chorus of Size of the Moon, where the admission "I don’t know what I’m afraid of" becomes both a collective chant and a moment of intimate fragility. On Cardinal, the moods never stagnate: they are carefully sculpted and revisited throughout the songs, reflecting the central themes of the album – memory, language, and a sense of belonging. Each song contributes to building a rich emotional universe, both intimate and universal.