I ever-so-slightly wrote off Cartel when they released the 'Ransom EP' as another one of those sickly sweet melodic bands - such as Mae or Spitalfield - that sounded great but had little lasting impact. Yet The Militia Group talked up their unreleased album as if they knew it was going to scale heady heights. I can see why now. 'Chroma' is an absolute gem of a record. It takes all the good parts of the EP and throws in bags of songwriting maturity, all mixed up with killer choruses and melodies. 'Chroma' has rapidly become one of my favourite albums this year too - it's so damn catchy half of these tracks are impossible to shift once they take control of your brain.
The opening triple salvo of 'Say Anything (Else)', 'Honestly' and 'Runaway' beg for singalongs. I can't sing a note, but in a shitty week I've been able to blast these songs on the way to work and have myself screaming along with every word. Vocalist Will has a distinctly strong sound that allows the more up-tempo songs to stand out. 'Matter of Time' won't win any awards for originality, but its strong chorus and clever hooks will have you reeled in in no time.
What Cartel do well is mix up their styles without needing to throw in the cliched acoustic songs. The piano-led 'Save Us' is absolutely gorgeous, while the epic 'The Minstrel's Prayer' adds a further string to the band's bow. Of course there's also the foot-tappingly good 'Luckie Street' and 'If I Fail' to keep you going if you like the faster paced songs. I'm a sucker for a very good pop-punk CD and Cartel have produced one of the best this year. American bands seem to do this slick-production, catchy chorus stuff better than anyone else, and Cartel are the latest band off the production line. Poppier than Jimmy Eat World, yet more considered than Race The Sun, Cartel are bloody lovely and a great way to end the summer sunshine. Pick this up, you won't regret it.
www.myspace.com/cartel
The Militia Group
Paul
