Out of Mind

Formed in late 2014, after the sweetly harmonising Carrivick Sisters (guitar player Charlotte and fiddler Laura) joined forces with mandolin player Joe Tozer and double bassist John Breese, Cardboard Fox have already released a well-received EP. But, as the Carrivicks surely know having already carved out their own impressive reputation on the UK bluegrass scene, there's a lot riding on this debut full-length album, especially as festival season looms. The eight original songs here all boast a strong pop sensibility, and the tunes from Joe Tozer (‘Gone but Not Forgotten’) and Charlotte (‘Hiding in Hi Vis’) do a good job of showcasing their considerable instrumental skills. The three covers dotted across the album, meanwhile, range from the pretty obvious (Bob Dylan's ‘Don’t Think Twice, it's Alright’) to the much more surprising (Ingrid Michaelson's pop hit ‘Girls Chase Boys’), via a subtly re-harmonised version of Dirk Powell's ‘Waterbound’. It's all eminently listenable but could do with a shot of energy – just the sort of boost a live audience normally helps out with.