The only thing that separates the band from the Ashlee Simpsons of the world is gender
By Chad RadfordMonday November 23, 2009 02:00 PM EST
Photo credit:
According to AllMusic.com, Cartel is an &-;emo” band, but it’s impossible to glean any emotional response from a group that’s so vanilla-bland that there’s no way to discern one song from the next. Cycles is the Conyers quintet’s third album - the one that’s supposed to restore its cred after that ill-advised MTV reality stunt in which they lived in a bubble for 20 days. Sure, they’re an easy target, but the soul-less whining and compression that coats every sugary surface of &-;Let’s Go,” &-;Faster Ride” and &-;Deep South” - not to mention the computer-generated vocal harmonies that bind them all together - ring out with the grace of a leaf blower. The only thing that separates the group from the Avril Lavignes and Ashlee Simpsons of the world is gender. (Wind-Up) 1 star out of 5
