THE SKINNY: If you jumped on the Cartel fanbus when they released their self-titled second LP then Cycles might leave you slightly disappointed, but the record will definitely appeal to die-hards and fans of earlier albums. Cycles is proof that Cartel hasn't lost its youthfulness, energy, and ability to draw a crowd.WEBSITE: http://cartelrocks.com
MYSPACE: http://myspace.com/cartel
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/cartelcartel
PURCHASE: Amazon, iTunes
Since the release of the pop dynamo's self-titled second major record two years ago, I was convinced Cartel was one of those wild card bands. They had it all: a huge following, a reality show on MTV, legitimately talented songwriters and performers. Cartel, since then, has been on my watch list, not only because they never cease to write perfect, punchy pop songs but because I was convinced that with every album the band would mature further until they achieved some veritable plateau of musical greatness.
To my disappointment, Cartel's latest release, Cycles, isn't necessarily a step in this same direction. The album is an incredibly well-produced collection of happy songs with a similar feel. Most tracks have an upbeat pulse with driving drums which might be an executive move at expanding and appeasing to the band's popularity. To support this, there are moments where the guitars are so back in the mix that they're drowned by what sounds like a club synth, which is certainly an exaggeration on my part, but it's clear the band has traded their ability to craft appropriately complex pop / rock gems for a stricter take on their previous commercialism. Cycles, however, is actually very good and I won't criticize it for not falling in line with my vision for the band because that's silly.
"Deep South," a slightly heavier track which also happens to be a lot slower in contrast with the record, is refreshing. Vocalist Will Pugh does his signature persistent and energetic belting while underneath him flows a classic case of Cartel guitars, sliding around the chorus chords with unison bass and kick drum. The effect is way luscious, and there's plenty of this type of instrumental work on the record. "Let's Go", one of two of the record's singles (which you can stream below) is a great example of a quintessential Cartel chorus, full of sharply punctuated and rhythmic guitars with a never-ending drum pulse. This song, in particular, is extremely reminiscent of their previous album, Cartel. The lifeforce of Cartel is unarguably Pugh's radically addictive melodies, of which there are no shortage. The quality of these melodies are certainly above average though some tracks haven't infected me as hard as I was anticipating. On songs like "See Me Now" and "Conventional Friend" Pugh utterly commands the speakers with his swerving, indulgent vocal work.
"Let's Go" off of Cycles
Cycles is undoubtedly a record meant for live translation. The energy on this album is in no short supply. Breaks with huge unison hits while Pugh explodes forth with high-pitched melodic swerves as only he can do are prevalent and welcome. While I prefer other Cartel albums as strictly recorded works it's apparent that Cycles is meant to be learned on iTunes and lived in an audience.
FAVORITE TRACK: "Deep South", "Conventional Friend"
FOR FANS OF: Cartel's Chroma
0 of you said...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
