MusicTalks
10/08/08, 01:01 PM
Cartel - Cartel
Record Label: Epic Records
Release Date: August 21, 2007
We all know that, in this genre of music, there are probably ten bad bands for one really good band. Around every corner, under every stone, behind every shrub or lurking o’er yonder is a band just waiting for you to show up so they can slap you with their music. In most cases these bands will turn out to be a knock off of a band you like, as evidenced by their MySpace Friend Request – “If you love <insert a good band name here>, then you’ll love us, <insert shitty knock off band name here>!” Maybe you’ll listen to them to see what they’re about. Maybe you won’t. I used to delete them, convinced that they were all multiplying mogwai that wanted to be fed after midnight. As of late, I have started giving them a shot because, honestly, I think that everyone deserves a chance. Not only that, but I happened to find one of my favorite bands, Cartel, in a similar fashion. For a reason I have yet to figure out, I listened to Cartel. Maybe I was anxious for something new. Maybe I was tired of everything old. Maybe it was a Wednesday afternoon and I was bored. I really have no idea. What I did know was that this was going to be a band that people should listen to. And listen people did.
After the release of Chroma, Cartel became the poster for power-pop music. Will’s boyishly good looks didn’t hurt him with the female fans and his amazingly strong vocals mixed in with witty lyrics kept the rest listening. People gave the band shit for the attention from the young female base, but in this genre, it’s nothing new. Cartel rolled with the punches. They toured relentlessly promoting Chroma for years, sampling new music here and there. Only after their debut sold some 200,000 records was it time to get back to recording new music. Enter: “Band In A Bubble”, sponsored by Dr. Pepper, which aired on MTV. The concept was to lock the band in a bubble in New York City and have people stare at them for twenty days while they wrote/recorded their next album. It was, at this point, that people decided the band had sold out and that was that.
Despite what MTV and the “Band In A Bubble” wanted you to think, this album was not written in twenty days. Some? Yes. Most? No. I would venture to say that only a handful of songs were actually written in the bubble, leaving the rest of the album to have been written on the road, where bands live their lives. So, while you might have read the rave reviews about Chroma and then read a few reviews about Cartel, leaving you with little to no expectations, one thing that is overlooked is that their second album is actually very, very good. We can all admit that there are songs on Chroma that we like. Some more than others, but it’s a catchy pop-punk mixture with strong vocals, cutting lyrics and powerful instruments. Cartel has those three ingredients, and more.
From “The Best”, a solid guitar-only intro with Will’s voice to “The Fortunate”, a drum-heavy anthem song with a chorus that makes you want to open the windows and scream out loud; Cartel is a great record. And where it lacks the originality that Chroma displayed, it more than makes up for it with solid vocals, heavy instruments and catchy tunes. “Lose It” was the single for the album and the only song to get a video to accompany it. If you saw the video, you hated it. I hated it. The song itself is catchy, but it’s one of my least favorite on the album. Thankfully, there are plenty more to make up for it. “Tonight” is a hard-hitting guitar and drum-based song with some infectious lyrics and an even more infectious chorus. “No Subject (Come With Me)” is a little softer and not as catchy, but the chorus is full of pop/punk valor. “This is Who We Are” is one of my favorites and it has the hardest hitting regular drum base on the record. The lyrics are easy to sing along to and the lead into each verse and chorus just shows how well the instruments and vocals come together. A fan favorite will surely be “Wasted” and there are two versions to choose from. Wyclef Jean produces/sings on one of them. “The Fortunate” is an anthem song that all fans will love, followed by a lyrical gem in “Georgia.” “If You Do, If You Don’t” is guitar and drum heavy, but it’s got a vocal tenacity to it that makes it slow and fast at the same time. If you are looking for a “Minstrel’s Prayer”, “Q” or “A”, you won’t find it, but “If I Were To Write This Song” is the closest. It’s eight minutes long and it’s broken into two songs in one, with the second half being totally amazing. Overall, Kevin Sanders’ drums drive the album with an ecclectic accompaniment from Jeff Lett, Nic Hudson and Joseph Pepper on guitar (Listen for Pepper’s solos throughout, you will love them).
When it’s all said and done and you’ve listened to this album, pushing it aside because it wasn’t Chroma, find it and listen again. You’ll come to love it for not being Chroma. It’s a heavy dose of great music, catchy vocals and simple lyrics, not unlike its predecessor. With tunes like “Tonight”, “This is Who We Are”, “If You Do, If You Don’t”, and “The Fortunate”, it will bring you back to the days of “Luckie St”, where you want roll your windows down, feel the cold air all around and start heading out of town.
great vocals; anthems; a taste or full serving of Cartel; finding out what the South brings
myspace.com/cartel (http://www.myspace.com/cartel)
Record Label: Epic Records
Release Date: August 21, 2007
We all know that, in this genre of music, there are probably ten bad bands for one really good band. Around every corner, under every stone, behind every shrub or lurking o’er yonder is a band just waiting for you to show up so they can slap you with their music. In most cases these bands will turn out to be a knock off of a band you like, as evidenced by their MySpace Friend Request – “If you love <insert a good band name here>, then you’ll love us, <insert shitty knock off band name here>!” Maybe you’ll listen to them to see what they’re about. Maybe you won’t. I used to delete them, convinced that they were all multiplying mogwai that wanted to be fed after midnight. As of late, I have started giving them a shot because, honestly, I think that everyone deserves a chance. Not only that, but I happened to find one of my favorite bands, Cartel, in a similar fashion. For a reason I have yet to figure out, I listened to Cartel. Maybe I was anxious for something new. Maybe I was tired of everything old. Maybe it was a Wednesday afternoon and I was bored. I really have no idea. What I did know was that this was going to be a band that people should listen to. And listen people did.
After the release of Chroma, Cartel became the poster for power-pop music. Will’s boyishly good looks didn’t hurt him with the female fans and his amazingly strong vocals mixed in with witty lyrics kept the rest listening. People gave the band shit for the attention from the young female base, but in this genre, it’s nothing new. Cartel rolled with the punches. They toured relentlessly promoting Chroma for years, sampling new music here and there. Only after their debut sold some 200,000 records was it time to get back to recording new music. Enter: “Band In A Bubble”, sponsored by Dr. Pepper, which aired on MTV. The concept was to lock the band in a bubble in New York City and have people stare at them for twenty days while they wrote/recorded their next album. It was, at this point, that people decided the band had sold out and that was that.
Despite what MTV and the “Band In A Bubble” wanted you to think, this album was not written in twenty days. Some? Yes. Most? No. I would venture to say that only a handful of songs were actually written in the bubble, leaving the rest of the album to have been written on the road, where bands live their lives. So, while you might have read the rave reviews about Chroma and then read a few reviews about Cartel, leaving you with little to no expectations, one thing that is overlooked is that their second album is actually very, very good. We can all admit that there are songs on Chroma that we like. Some more than others, but it’s a catchy pop-punk mixture with strong vocals, cutting lyrics and powerful instruments. Cartel has those three ingredients, and more.
From “The Best”, a solid guitar-only intro with Will’s voice to “The Fortunate”, a drum-heavy anthem song with a chorus that makes you want to open the windows and scream out loud; Cartel is a great record. And where it lacks the originality that Chroma displayed, it more than makes up for it with solid vocals, heavy instruments and catchy tunes. “Lose It” was the single for the album and the only song to get a video to accompany it. If you saw the video, you hated it. I hated it. The song itself is catchy, but it’s one of my least favorite on the album. Thankfully, there are plenty more to make up for it. “Tonight” is a hard-hitting guitar and drum-based song with some infectious lyrics and an even more infectious chorus. “No Subject (Come With Me)” is a little softer and not as catchy, but the chorus is full of pop/punk valor. “This is Who We Are” is one of my favorites and it has the hardest hitting regular drum base on the record. The lyrics are easy to sing along to and the lead into each verse and chorus just shows how well the instruments and vocals come together. A fan favorite will surely be “Wasted” and there are two versions to choose from. Wyclef Jean produces/sings on one of them. “The Fortunate” is an anthem song that all fans will love, followed by a lyrical gem in “Georgia.” “If You Do, If You Don’t” is guitar and drum heavy, but it’s got a vocal tenacity to it that makes it slow and fast at the same time. If you are looking for a “Minstrel’s Prayer”, “Q” or “A”, you won’t find it, but “If I Were To Write This Song” is the closest. It’s eight minutes long and it’s broken into two songs in one, with the second half being totally amazing. Overall, Kevin Sanders’ drums drive the album with an ecclectic accompaniment from Jeff Lett, Nic Hudson and Joseph Pepper on guitar (Listen for Pepper’s solos throughout, you will love them).
When it’s all said and done and you’ve listened to this album, pushing it aside because it wasn’t Chroma, find it and listen again. You’ll come to love it for not being Chroma. It’s a heavy dose of great music, catchy vocals and simple lyrics, not unlike its predecessor. With tunes like “Tonight”, “This is Who We Are”, “If You Do, If You Don’t”, and “The Fortunate”, it will bring you back to the days of “Luckie St”, where you want roll your windows down, feel the cold air all around and start heading out of town.
great vocals; anthems; a taste or full serving of Cartel; finding out what the South brings
myspace.com/cartel (http://www.myspace.com/cartel)