Cardiff has described his style as "folk with a dash of sing-along and storytelling." Cardiff's music blends many songwriter genres, including folk, country, rock and traditional, always with an emphasis on strong lyrics that relate a story. He is known for engaging fans during performances, his wide vocal range and his ability to improvise, as well as for creating cohesive, emotional performances through his on-stage humour and storytelling. "A big part of what I do at my shows is improv, in terms of crowd sing-along or the book of truth project – that's been woven into everything – in terms of crowd readings and collecting these different pieces from the audience members," Cardiff told the "Rocky Mountain Outlook." "The songs are constantly being re-examined and re-presented in different ways."