After essentially disappearing from the music scene for two years, pop-punk band Cartel has made their reappearance with their new album, Cycles. And unlike their previous album, critics are sure to not to “say anything (else)” but praise for the band’s third full-length.
In 2007, Cartel teamed up with Dr. Pepper and MTV for “Band in a Bubble” – an experiment in which the band had to write and record a full album in just 20 days. While the band was trapped in seclusion inside the plastic dome they weren’t permitted to leave, their every movement was videotaped and broadcasted live to fans across the globe. The first single from that album, titled Cartel, was “Lose It,” but at this point it seemed all that the band had lost was the credibility and slight popularity they had achieved from “Honestly” off their previous album, Chroma – proof that making a quality album takes more work and support than meets the eye.
So that’s exactly what Cartel did with Cycles – the exact opposite of what they did for their self-titled. This time, they actually took the time to work on the album and make one that lives up to the potential they showed everyone in Chroma.
Cycles starts off with the first single “Let’s Go.” It functions as a near perfect introductory track, as it brings listeners, both new and old, up to speed in the world of Cartel. It’s upbeat and fun, descriptive of the band’s earlier recordings. The track starts off with lyrics “Let me reintroduce myself as a man with a cause” – which seems to describe the band’s desire to be relevant after being out of the game for a while.
The next two tracks, “The Perfect Mistake” and “Faster Ride” follow suit and are both reminiscent of the Chroma time period. They both have proper hooks and either would fit well as a second single, perhaps to help the band make its way back up to popularity with their catchiness.
“Deep South” is a standout track on Cycles, dealing with the band’s Georgia origin. The song is an interesting addition to the record, and while it is reflecting of their not-so-strong self-titled album, it has the flair much of that album simply lacked. “27 Steps” can also be compared to the self-titled album, but proves how much a strict time constraint and controlled environment can destroy a record because this shines above the vast majority of songs on the album released after “the bubble.”
Aside from the predominantly fast-paced and upbeat tunes on Cycles, there’s “Only You” – a quintessential love song almost every decent pop-punk record has. The song functions well to break-up the record and is well-written and catchy overall.
“It Still Remains” really shows Cartel’s potential to reclaim their spot in the pop-punk world. Of all of the songs on Cycles, this is most similar Chroma, the band’s most successful album to date.
Cycles closes out with “Retrograde” – a slightly slower song and the perfect balance to the album. As the rounding-out effect for the record, it takes a road similar to “A” on Chroma. This is almost an obvious end to Cycles and doesn’t leave fans feeling as if something was missing.
While Cartel’s self-titled album damaged much of the band’s reputation, Cycles show how, despite the damage, the band has come so far. They’ve become quality pop-punk songwriters and learned how to put together a quality album. Although Cycles seems to blend together in points, it also sheds a light on how albums in the genre should be. It’s not overdone or overproduced like many recent pop-punk albums are. It may not have the appeal that Chroma had, but Cycles is a worthwhile pop-punk album – and not just in the sense that any album would be an improvement over their last.
Perhaps the strongest part of Cycles is how reflecting it is of how the band has grown. The songs are more mature and less predictable, but also well-written both musically and lyrically. Hopefully, this will help one of pop-punk’s most promising bands ditch any negativity around them and help fans and new listeners recognize what this band has to offer. Because Cartel is that band and Cycles proves that – “honestly.”
