Show of Cards stretches a singer-songwriter aesthetic across musical boundaries and genres, bringing the listener to places both familiar and surprising.
Originally formed as a trio of Cardozo siblings with singer-songwriter Karen (of Chattering Magpies), lead guitarist Mike (of Zikina), and bassist Joe (of Cold Duck Complex), they debuted in 2009 with Leap Year (produced by Joe and featuring Makaya McCraven on drums), a compelling album whose highlights include standouts “Angel Island” and “Shatter,” buoyant opener “Floating” and the ethereal title track.
Subsequently, Karen and Mike joined forces with bassist Garrett Sawyer (of Gaslight Tinkers) and drummer Joe Fitzpatrick (of Trailer Park). With Something Better (2013), producers Mike and Garrett enveloped Karen's songwriting in the textures, rhythms, and arrangements of musical languages from folk-rock to jazz to West African to classical. Engineered at Northfire Recording Studio in Amherst, collaborators included drummer Sturgis Cunningham, cellist Eric Remschneider (of many acts including Smashing Pumpkins), Jeff D'Antona (keyboards), Zoe Darrow (fiddle) and Tim Eriksen (backing vocals). Of the irrepressible “Bird of Hope,” one reviewer wrote that
“suddenly, what began as a dreamy folk song now has a world-music vibe beckoning us to the dance floor. The album is full of subtle shifts in moods and sounds that carry the listeners to different places, from the jazz-influenced "High" to country flavored "Colorado," which features nice fiddle work from Zoe Darrow, to the upbeat "Walking Wounded." Karen mines a wide range of emotions in her lyrics and captivating voice. This is a disc that you can spend hours listening to” (Greenfield Recorder 2013).
In 2017 the band released their third album, One Small Good Thing, which takes its lyrical themes on a dazzling journey whose sonic variety feels like the twists and turns of Life itself. From the calmly contented title track to the daring hope of “The Leap” to the ebullient “Sing” or defiant Fela Kuti-inspired “One Way Ticket,” the band reminds us, as Walt Whitman did, that we contain multitudes. Across their catalog, Show of Cards creates enduring musical time capsules to capture the moment: Now.