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Cartel - News
Cartel "Cycles" Back to Great Music
| 21-11-2009 15:37 | 0 reaction(s) | add reaction | add news |
 After all the anticipation (and a lack of good marketing) a sigh of relief can be had for the boys of Cartel, who decided to take it back to the roots of their success, "Chroma"-- the pop-punk masterpiece that makes it impossible not to copy and paste the lyrics for a Facebook status at least once. Cartel are hoping to recover from the self-titled backlash with "Cycles," an album that proves "Chroma" was the initial jump, "Cartel" was the shaky landing and "Cycles" is the massive bounce-back; almost as if they pressed rewind on the tape, changed some things, and hit play. "Let me reintroduce myself," Pugh confidently addresses on the opening track. Props to the band for owning up to their mistakes, which became the album "Cartel."
Full of shimmering pop numbers built on shiny-riffs and colossal production, "Cycles" is a dubious return to the power-pop that launched the band into the stratosphere. "Let's Go" shakes off all previous constraints and lets the band rock in their element before ensuring listeners that the slump is now indeed over. Cartel stopped trying to impress people with their unique innovations and proved that keeping it simple is just as wildly brilliant as anything else they have attempted.
Their self-titled release does gather a little more criticism than it ultimately deserves, and for the sheer fact the band actually tested the waters of a all-together different sound is at least worth a mention. Despite the reaction and the aftermath of this release, Pugh still proved he is a uniquely talented vocalist who draws people in with his voice and his lyrics, and while there's hardly any room for improvement, his charm (and title choosing) work best when he is given songs like "Conventional Friend" or "Retrograde," two hardcore numbers that bask in aggressive melodies.
Pugh stays true to his form by having fun with the lyrics, especially on the song (ironically enough) entitled "Typical." Joseph Pepper & Nic Hudson's dual-layered guitars strengthen the literal muscle of Cartel's enthusiastic adoration for wall-of-sound pop; Jeff Lett's bass roars across the rhythm section, especially in the album's strongest section; the second half of the record. Kevin Sanders's drumming is persistent, steady and stands out from his previous patterns to blend with the beat perfectly. "Cycles" presents itself as a new beginning, or a way to cleanse the minds of those who remember that whole lets-make-a-record-inside-a-bubble-in-New-York-City incident on MTV a few years back. This group can still make good music, and they intend to remind you of that with "Cycles."
As Pugh openly admits on "Retrograde," "I have no remorse/I have no shame/I'm looking for the center of this life I've found." The band sounds happier, unified as a collective whole, which was the downfall of their previous album. "Faster Ride" feels like it is looking for an auto-tuned remix to come give it a touch-up, and "The Perfect Mistake" is the weak link on the record, with a disappointing chorus. There is a southern charm to "Deep South," a clear homage to Pugh's homeland of Georgia, and while some lyrics come across as cliché on "It Still Remains" and "Only You," both pack in such irresistibly tight pop melodies, they will crawl into your brain and make you bob your head until it explodes(or you find an annoying song that takes up residency instead).
The songs "27 Steps" and "See Me Now" are the best mainstream ones on the record, and will surely top the charts later this year. With every future listen, it appears that Cartel have shaken off all the critics, the heartbreak and started anew - not just with a new label, but a new approach to maintaining that sense of urgency and delivering satisfying hooks that don't overwhelm upon first listen- and hey, the songs are not all about breakups anymore. Guess they broke that cycle. Haha. About time they started a new one.
Cartel may have just recorded the first pop-rock album in years that actually doesn't overcompensate with extremely long song title names, or scandalous band member behavior. This album is about nothing but the music. While the band may never please those who want the second-coming of "Chroma," these eleven tracks will be sure to please most that are searching for great music in the pop-punk genre of 2009. Welcome back to the game, boys. |
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