Concert Review: The Cordial Sins EP Release Show at Ace of Cups, with Cherry Chrome and Playing To V

The Cordial Sins officially pushed their newest EP, Only Human, out into the world, marking the release with a killer show at Ace of Cups. With a bye week for the home football team, Halloween right around the corner, a specially brewed Modern Martyrs IPA from Lineage on tap, a fantastic lighting production worthy of a much bigger venue, and two great opening acts in Cherry Chrome and Playing To Vapors, the mood of the entire evening was celebratory.

And the celebration was more than justified. Since The Cordial Sins released their best single to date, “Go On” in late 2016, fans had been eagerly awaiting the Sins follow-up to the 2015 debut album, Daze. The wait was definitely worth it, as Only Human, which is an EP in name, but at seven songs long, boasts nearly an album’s worth of material. The new EP is unmistakably the Sins, showcasing frontwoman Liz Fisher’s big voice, while weaving melodic, ethereal sounds throughout. But two years after their first album, the Sins have definitely matured, in their songwriting, composition, playing, and overall execution. If you’ve seen the Sins playing out live over the last year, then you won’t be too surprised with the direction of the new music - it’s more guitar driven, as even Fisher has mostly traded in her synth and violin for an electric guitar, and it’s just a little bit more rock than their earlier material.

Befitting the release of the brand new music, The Cordial Sins’ setlist was perfectly crafted, first reminding us where they’ve been, and then showcasing where they are going. Since Fisher has now joined Corey Dickerson and Kyle Edwards on guitar, the band brought in

two special guests to play violin for the show. This live configuration of the Sins also

featured Lucas Harris, frontman of Playing To Vapors, on keys, bass, guitar, and vocals. Harris’ talents and the extra violins added a lot to the overall live sound for the band, allowing for the musical depth that you usually can only hear in the recordings to come to life on stage.

After moving through six tracks off of Daze, The Cordial Sins bridged the gap between old and new material with a great, rocking cover of Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” and then with “Angela,” the band’s collaboration with the aforementioned Luke Harris of Playing To Vapors, which was released as a single early last year. Then, by launching into the distinctive opening of “Go On,” it was finally time to kick-off the Only Human era of The Cordial Sins. By this point in the show, the crowd packed into Ace of Cups was fully into the show, pressing up against the stage, dancing, and reveling in the lights and music. Besides “Go On,” highlights of the new EP were “Control,” “Martyrs,” “Only Human,” and the show closer, “Under Fire.” Judging by the crowd’s enthusiastic reaction to all of the new material, The Cordial Sins have taken another great step forward with their new EP.

Self-described “spunk” rockers Cherry Chrome opened the show, with a very fun and energetic set. Comprised of Xenia Bleveans-Holm (vocals, guitar), Mick Martinez (guitar, vocals), and Amina Adesiji (bass, vocals), Cherry Chrome released their debut, self-titled, EP last summer, and are definitely a rising Columbus band to watch. Bleveans-Holm’s smooth vocals are a perfect match for Martinez’s fuzzy guitar, and the harmonies created by the trio, are what really create the band’s unique sound.

As the second opening act, Playing To Vapors took the raw energy infused into the crowd by Cherry Chrome, and melded it into their more ambient, shoegaze style of indie rock. Having previously released two EPs and a handful of singles, Playing To Vapors released their first full-length album, Shred The Master Design, back in June. During their ten song set, the band highlighted six tracks from the new album, and like The Cordial Sins, Playing To Vapors’ new tracks really show off how they have developed over the last couple of years. Luke Harris’ distinctive vocals perfectly pierce through the prog and math-rock influenced sounds created by Daron DiSabato (guitar, vocals), Mike Stokes (guitar), and Harris, while Josiah DePaso’s great work behind the drum kit pulls it all together and keeps each song driving towards its conclusion.

Setlist - The Cordial Sins:

AM

You

Sway

Dangerous State

Overboard

The Fall

Fringe

Don’t You Forget About Me

Angela

Go On

Control