New local music releases from Cardinal Bloom, Frick. and OrcaMind 

• Clark Clifford photo
• Cardinal Bloom

We're saying goodbye to summer, but that doesn't mean saying goodbye to new releases from our favorite local artists. There have been many noteworthy releases as we head into the fall months, and there's sure to be plenty more as we march into the end of the year, but here are some of note that you should check out right now.

Cardinal Bloom, The Only Place I've Ever Known: Cardinal Bloom have been releasing easy-to-love indie tunes since 2019, but since then they haven't released a full-length album. That's what made September so great for the band—they finally did. The Only Place I've Ever Known is a project the group has been working on for some time now, and it's amazing to hear what they've been cooking up. It includes tracks like "So Sweet" and "12:30" that were released ahead of the full album, and served as an excellent precursor for the rest.

The song "12:30" is "about tapping into your younger self and wanting to understand if they would love the person you are today and the choices you made," Cardinal Bloom said on Instagram, "almost more a self reflection on if you've been living out those dreams you've had as a kid." The rest of the album contains more of the same types of themes—growing up, feeling nostalgic and looking to the future.

"We've decided to name the album The Only Place I've Ever Known relating to where we've come from and our upbringing throughout life," Cardinal Bloom said when they announced the album in August. "We really put our heart and soul into each one of these tracks and feel as though it really represents who we are as a band and where we want to go with our music. This is a moment for the 4 of us that we will never forget. We reflect on these past few years and having this dream of releasing an album ever since we were kids. This is only possible because of our community and those of you who have supported us through everything. We see you, and this album is for all of you as much as it is for us." The Only Place I've Ever Known is streaming everywhere now.
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Frick., blows.: "No one asked for this," lofi/pop/punk band Frick said about their newest project, blows. "Brad [Rhoades] has been working behind the scenes making video game versions of a bunch of Frick songs, just for funsies." If you're a fan of old-school gaming, this album will have a wave of nostalgia crashing over you as soon as you hit play. It feels like you're a little kid again, staying up playing on your SNES with friends, or powering through hard levels on your own after school. Each track has that delicious 8- or 16-bit sound that instantly takes you back in time and is so well done, you could truly place them in any SNES game and you probably wouldn't question it. Because these are video game versions of the band's already existing tracks, it's fun to listen to them back to back and compare the electronic versions to the punk ones. This type of music may not be for everyone though, so if you're not into the retro video game sound, Frick's catalog is excellent and worth going through if you love punk/grunge vibes. Blows is streaming everywhere now, and if you're a cassette lover, there are copies on Frick's BandCamp page.
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OrcaMind, "Good Enough": Putting the words "good" and "enough" together creates a pretty loaded phrase, despite it only being two words. Many things can come to mind when these two silly words are put together, and more often than not, it's feelings of inadequacy and doubt. On OrcaMind's new single "Good Enough" they delve into these strong emotions and themes. "[It's about] having very particular standards from others and yourself, rumination, mind never stopping, but trying to embrace that part of yourself as well," they write on their BandCamp page. "Rumination prevents us from having mental clarity and/or following through. The end of the song's lyrics 'not finishing' is sticking it to that concept and doing it anyway, in spite of doubt." "I never rest, or sleep / 'til I double check, it gets scary / then I'll dig it up / again and again," vocalist Michelle Heafy sings. OrcaMind tends to have a very floaty, ethereal sound to their music, and that's present in "Good Enough." Their music always feels like floating on the surface of water, slowly swaying from side to side as you drift further out— it's comforting and cathartic.
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They continue on BandCamp saying the track focuses on the "inner struggle of taking things very seriously. You're uncomfortable but you also have trouble speaking up for yourself when others cross your boundaries, frustrations with people-pleasing. Being sensitive to these things going on around you, overstimulated." "Good Enough" is streaming everywhere now.

Those are just a few of the incredible releases that have dropped recently, but it's far from all of them. Chances are your favorite locals have probably released something new recently, so this is your sign to go check it out.