Cardboard Dream House
New Haven, Connecticut, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2018 | INDIE
Music
Press
03/30/2023
CARDBOARD DREAM HOUSE - FUNERAL OF A
NATION - EP REVIEW
By Ralph Beauchamp
Cardboard Dream House is a Ct. based alternative rock band who have just released an impressive
new EP entitled Funeral Of A Nation. AMP last featured the band in 10/2020 when they dropped their
previous album, Perspectives (see related below). CDH's current lineup consists of Bobby Roberts
(Vocals/Guitar), Mike Brandon (Drums), Andrew Nuve (Bass) and Stevie Bagz (Guitar).
Funeral Of A Nation delivers seven brazen tracks that are full of intensity. The EP was recorded at
Forest Lodge Studios in Oxford, Ct. The songs were written and composed by Roberts. Multi-
instrumentalist Roberts enlisted the talents of Lydia Arachne (guitar/piano/synth/bass/drums/backing
vocals) during the recording process. Also, Mike Brandon played drums on "Funeral Of A Nation' and
"Circles". CD Baby is the digital distributor.
Bobby Roberts is an amazing songwriter. His compositions are edgy and dynamic. He uses
experimental accents to create unique signatures in order to distribute sonic missiles. Roberts'
themes are socially relevant and lyrically brazen. He combines multiple musical genres as a way to
shake things up. Roberts' creativity is imposing. In addition, he discharges cinematic soundscapes.The first track on the EP is "Funeral Of A Nation". Roberts infuses fuzzed out guitar riffs with
psychedelic synths and manic piano fills. The entire tune has a profoundly spacey aura. The tempo
changes are bold and the entire track has a tension to it. "Fall In Line" changes the groove with a
mellower feel. The acoustic guitar adds a brilliant touch while Roberts' vocals are sublimely
subdued. The harmonies hoist a lofty air. "Circles" harbors a 70's sensibility. Think Thunderclap
Newman meets T. Rex. The guitar riffs are cool and the piano is harmonically rich. Brandon's
percussions fit perfectly.
CARDBOARD DREAM HOUSE. I'LL BE COMING BACK.
"Forget The Lies" is a banger. CDH rocks out. The synth swirl while the guitars attack with heated
vigor. Roberts' vocals have an aural strangeness which is intriguing. The guitars blast with
impetuous ferocity. "Scenic Disaster" is a heartfelt song with a spectacular arrangement. "I'll Be
Coming Back" is probably the strongest song on the EP. Everything falls into place. The guitars have
a silky fierceness while Bobby's voice smacks with authority. The bass and drums dish out a
definitive backline. It also channels a punk vibe and an anthemic pasion. Funeral Of A Nation closes
with the fast and furious "Elergy" with barreling guitar riffs and a menacing meter.
Bobby Roberts and Cardboard Dream House have construed an imaginative EP with propulsive
tracks and a palette full of extraordinary textures. - By Ralph Beauchamp
Cardboard Dream House is a four piece indie/alternative/punk band based out of Southern Ct. The band consists of Bobby Roberts (Guitar/Vocals), Eli Farland (Drums/Backing Vocals), Haneef Harris (Bass) and Lydia Arachne (Keyboards/Backing Vocals). CDH recently released their new album entitled Perspective via NeuroTronix Records. The record was cleverly produced and engineered by Richard Demko at Greenwood Studios in Seymour and Horizon Music Group in West Haven. The band describes their sound as an “obscene and gritty blend of classic Alice Cooper and Kiss meets Alan Parsons and Green Day“.
CDH lives up to their reputation. Their music covers a wide spectrum of genres and musical styles. And they handle the contrast well. They seem as comfortable punking it out as they do being progressive and melodic. The songs are well written and reverberate with high energy. The musicianship throughout Perspective is first rate and the vocal harmonies are outstanding. I’m going to concentrate on the first three released singles as they exemplify the rich content of the entire album.
“Killing Me Inside” is a solid rocker with a cool punk chorus. Roberts’ forceful vocals and fiery guitar perfectly fits the whole timbre of the song. Farland’s drums and Harris’ bass combine for a tight backbeat, Also, Arachne’s keys are a nice touch. The crescendo finish is a superb ending to a driving composition. In addition, the song has garnished over 32,000 streams on Spotify and has been added to countless radio playlists.
“Belong” begins with a nasty grunge guitar and impressive drumming. The song has a galvanic beat with an interesting synth underbelly. Again Roberts’ strong crunching vocals pushes the tune in a compelling direction. In addition. Harris’ bass lays down a potent throbbing rhythm. On “Belong” CDH throws punch after punch of sonic slaughter.
“Until The Next Time” is another energetic rocker that contains sharp beats and an enterprising guitar solo. The song’s vigorous pulse has the listener bopping and stomping. The song’s theme is the age old tale of lost love. One can feel the yearning and distress in Roberts’ vocals and his voice fits ideally with guest vocalist Suzanne Vick’s harmonization.
There are other gems throughout the album including the fierce “Hollow” and the anthemic “Black Light Flurry”. With Perspective, Cardboard Dream House have built a solid framework for the future. The assailing tempos and inventive bounce of Perspective are inspiring. The talent and musicianship is already there. One can only imagine what Roberts and company can come up with next. - RALPH BEAUCHAMP
Cardboard Dream House has just released their latest disc of hard charging, action packed music. Their new CD, Perspective, on Connecticut’s Neurotronix Records, reveals a band with kaleidoscopic talents, a band that can, within one shift, turn a song into a louder, more colorful work, a band that does all that while remaining true to their core sound.
Cardboard Dream House proves on this Perspective disc that it can rock out as hard as any other band while remaining committed to a creative, fresh sound. Connecticut, a fertile ground for a variety of musical styles, just might have themselves another bragging right when this group reaches its full potential. Produced by Richard Demko at Greenwood Studios in Seymour, Connecticut and engineered by Vic Steffens at Horizon Music Group in West Haven, Connecticut, this disc jumps out of the speakers with a seriously real sound. - Bill Copeland
SEYMOUR - Connecticut-based Indie Alternative Punk Band Cardboard Dream House has signed a record deal with independent label NeuroTronix Records.
Cardboard Dream House can be found playing shows all over the area, and its first full-length album is set to be released in the spring of 2020.
The band first surfaced in the summer of 2018 with a collection of whiskey-drenched songs, steeped in gasoline and heartache.
The music of CDH is an obscene and gritty blend of classic Alice Cooper and make-up era Kiss meets Alan Parsons and Green Day.
Songwriter and front man Bobby Roberts delivers a greasy and raw vocal, and his lyrics depict the pleas and confessions of a seasoned musician who has loved and lost too many times. -
Good record, thanks for sending the CD, I found the music catchy, energetic, melodic, hard rockin, anthemic, dynamic, diverse with lots of character and spirit within the song structures, the musicianship is thrilling and sometimes complex hroughout the album with plenty of guitar hooks, I think the band sound great and you have made a fun diverse record that I think our readers would enjoy. Good solid vibe, great production, excellent songwriting, and fabulous vocals throughout, and you can feel the energy and soundwaves through the
speakers.I enjoyed the songs: Until The Next Time, Belong, Stay, Inside Me, and Dragon's Burn.
I can't fault the album at all.
Best regards,
Nicky
TSM/Fireworks - Nicky Baldrain
Discography
PERSPECTIVE is the first full length album from Cardboard Dream House. Produced by Richard Demko and Neurotronix records in early 2020 and released June 2020. Perspective has 11 tracks. The songwriting on Perspective is very relatable to most peoples everyday situations and has something for everyone. The songs on Perspective take twist and turns and ups and downs and bring you on a journey that deals with loss, love ,Depression and Hope.
Photos
Bio
Cardboard Dream House is a Connecticut-based rock band which originally surfaced in 2018. The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Bobby Roberts, who created the concept as a conduit to release a slew of previously unrecorded songs, the band's lineup has shifted significantly as they've progressed from launching their self-titled debut EP in 2019 to their first full-length album, Perspective, the following year, all the way to Funeral of a nation, their most recent EP in 2022.
With a diverse range of influences including legends like Alice Cooper, Kiss, and Meatloaf as well as stalwarts of the 2000s such as Angels and Airwaves, Cardboard Dream House's sonic identity is a cohesive blend of classic rock with grungy, punky sensibilities. Known for a lyrical style that makes tough, introspective topics like mental health and addiction approachable for people struggling themselves, the band's goal is to create music that can make a difference in someone's life – and the bigger the audience, the better.
Building on a strong half decade-long foundation during which they've been signed to NeuroTronix records, earned over 80k streams, and been played on the radio across the country, Cardboard Dream House are continuing to build momentum, promoting their existing material through a range of live shows while working on a host of new singles, which will be announced in due time, much to the delight of their diverse and growing fanbase.
The current lineup is Bobby Roberts-Vocals/Guitar, Stevie Bagz- Guitar, Andrew Nave-Bass, Mike Brandon-Drums.
Band Members
Links
