I hope Fico doesn't mind, or this hasn't been posted in the past (I only get a chance to read a small portion of the threads), but here's the review of Cartel's "Fleets/At Night" single that was reviewed in the May 2005 Record Collector Magazine.
The debut release from this American five-piece has them sounding like many a good band from Manchester, Scotland and Ireland. Indeed, the Anglophile sound is prevalent throughout these two songs. You can hear the Northern lights of The Doves as well as the jangle-rush of Teenage Fanclub throughout this double A-side.
Fleet's rolling drums combine with atmospheric wisps of keyboards, which surround the song in a bubble of emotion, with breathy vocals summarising the relationship dichotomy with "I didn't want you to go/and I didn't want you to stay." One of the most noticable aspects is the power of Fleets. Stripped of overly-distorted guitars, it lies in the texture of the song that teeters on the edge of an explosive bridge, which flows into the infectious chorus once more. The crystalline riffs of All Night, prove that they can do indie rock at a Smiths-esque pace, which bolsters their sound even further. All in all, a very impressive musical debut, that grows stronger with every play, both in the head and in the heart.
Ali MacQueen
