Lyrical Cartel mixes unique youth, ambiguity
For Dr Pepper lovers, Cartel’s name is probably associated with the “Band in a Bubble” promotion, during which the quintet was sequestered inside a giant bubble for 20 days. In that time they had to record a complete album; the result was Cartel’s self-named sophomore effort.
Opening with the uncharacteristically relaxed, nearly acoustic “The Best,” listeners are immediately shoved into the new territory Cartel charts in this album. Their full-length debut album Chroma garnered many comparisons to Fallout Boy when it was released last June. Since then, both bands seem to have found their own distinct styles.
Cartel, on this record, has backed off the power-chord-heavy rock that dominated Chroma. That is not to say that there are no tracks reminiscent of Chroma, but their presence is not nearly as strong in this release. Instead, Cartel grants listeners a smoother, more melodic kind of rock that often dulls down strong riffs in favor of lighter, more flowing chords. They manage to make music that can sound loud without drowning themselves out. Production makes sure vocals are always audible over any instrumentals.
Lead vocalist and songwriter Will Pugh brings out lyrics similar to his previous efforts. While his words are not ground breaking in their substance, his approach to the topics he chooses is distinctive. He covers many of the same topics as other young writers: breakups (“Lose It”), identity (“This Is Who We Are”) and existential crisis (“Wasted”). It is the usual.
But rather than lamenting his woes to us, he starts his stories in the midst of his problems. “Lose It,” the obligatory breakup song of the record, begins “Well it’s that time, / It’s that time again,” immediately putting audiences in the position of finding a place for the song in their own life. By keeping the meaning of his lyrics elusive and ambiguous, Pugh saves what could easily become an adolescent angst parade, creating a tune that leaves the unsettling impression that there is a deeper, undiscovered meaning in the song.
“Wasted,” however, provides a lengthy biography, but it is also the tale of all the ways in which American youth’s lives are empty. Each stanza opens by voicing the age of our metaphorical protagonist — which changes throughout the song — and reminds the audience that this is a story. By the end of the song the true meaning comes out, when Pugh asks of himself — and indirectly of the listener — “When I’m 32 will I be miserable?” Forming its words around the most distinctive and unique rhythms on the album, “Wasted” is easily the standout track of Cartel.
Ultimately, Pugh and his peers seem to have set out to create an album that brings listeners in and subtly questions them on the nature of their lives. Specifically aimed at audiences in the same early-20s age group as the musicians, this record holds unique insights and riffs for the youth of the next generation. Cartel holds the ear all the way through, offering lyrics subtle enough for easy listening but meaningful enough, on closer inspection, to raise important questions and voice powerful opinions.
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