Review Summary: After listening to all the tracks on this EP I find my self asking "Why can't Cartel go back to this?" The commercialism that Cartel has had to work with in order to ensure it's sucess has definately had a negative impact on the band, however luckily we w
Cartel are one of those bands that you just cannot help but get into, whether you admit it or not is another question, but this band are a guilty pleasure for many music fans. Although personally my favourite genre is Post-Hardcore, it is the captivating melodies and their admiribale ability to write endless amounts of "radio-friendly" songs which somehow do not feature the lack of depth that we have come to expect from such.
I would have to say that this is cartel's best body of work to date. They were a young band when this was recorded, and n fact it was originally independently released before being picked up by the Militia Group... and you can see why they were so eager to snap them up!
Upon listening to this album is is evident that this was written when the boys were just starting out. Many of the songs would seem out of place on a newer Cartel release, and it is obvious that working without the contraints of having to please their current fans by constantly bringing out similar material, has very positive effects.
My favourite track on this album is definately "Last Chance" Although most of the tracks on this EP release feature a pretty standard pop-song structure, there is just something about this standout track which makes it appeal to me most heavily. Another song which I feel deserves a mention is "The City Never Sleeps," which when browsing through my Cartel discography was the one that made me go back to the early days and pay special attention to this album.
Unfortunately, I find that the title track "The Ransom" to be a bit lacking. It just doesn't feature the soaring melodies that can get me hooked on a song by this band. However, this is down to personal preference, and it is in no way a bad song.
