After what I considered a lackluster second album (the self-titled album produced on MTV’s Band In The Bubble), Cartel explodes out of the gate on Cycles, recapturing the enthusiasm and energy of 2005’s Chroma.
Rocking out from the very start, Will Pugh calls listeners to rise and make a stand about the things that they are passionate about rather than sitting on the sideline in “Let’s Go.” It’s easy to see it politically and personally; the lyrics call for change today not promises for hope tomorrow, while exhorting us to live our lives instead of living the lives that we think that we’re expected to.
They’re keeping the foot to the pedal as they rock out again with “Perfect Mistake” and “Faster Ride.” The guitars drive everything, but Pugh’s voice is just as amped up and manic. Both songs seem to reflect an ended relationship, and one that Pugh himself didn’t control. Love raises us up but it hurts, too, when it ends, and Pugh’s delivery shows the angst that still remains after his lover has left the picture. His warning seems to be aimed at her, that while she wanted something new and more exciting, that she is leaving the accountable, trustworthy confines of their relationship for something that she may be damaged by.
“Only You” slows things down, barely. Pugh has an urgency to this album that drives it all out, and by the chorus of “It Still Remains,” he’s ramped it back up, emphatically begging the woman in question to stay. In “27 Steps,” there’s more of a rage, a frustration, that boils over and explodes… and it’s quite powerful. “See Me Now” comes out like a mantra, and it seems like an explanation for the difference in Cartel. Pugh belts out that he has only recently figured out who he is, and that those who knew him before might not recognize him.
“Typical” was a bit more emo, and certainly more on the offensive. It seems more frustrated than some of the other songs. It’s catchy but not as enjoyable to listen to,and the vibe continues in “Conventional Friends.” Still, the guitars and drums are rocking out, and you can’t help listening to the song. The closing song, “Retrograde,” mixes up the vibe, slowing things down… but it still feels like Pugh is just waiting to explode in a sea of passion.
From a content perspective, there’s just not a lot here, but from a sound and style, Cartel is a fun listen, whether you’re sitting at home or riding in the car. The band’s passion is palpable, and infectious, two things more bands could use a few doses of.
