Album of the Week: Chroma

I'm very tired of blogging while shitty YouTube channels are playing in the background. We are on YouTube sabbatical this week, as a family, the week after vacation, and I am going to lean fully into blogging on my own terms. Feel free to join me in listening to this album, writing about it, and fully ignoring asshole YouTube kids stars with punchable faces.

Record Club:

archives | supplemental

spotify playlist | youtube playlist

choose | writing

WEEK 387 — June 28-July 4, 2026

Chroma

by Cartel

LISTEN:

Spotify | YouTube | Bandcamp | Apple

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PICKED BY VOTE

CATEGORY OF VOTING: "Third Time's a Charm" — The idea of having a poll set up to choose an album is not a new one. We had last summer, we had the YSC x RC crossover series, and we had a bunch of random polls scattered around over the years. With Cartel specifically, it started as a Gilson pick for YSC on Day 40, then it lost to A Little Bit of Mambo in the first poll, and then it lost to The Young and the Hopeless in the second poll. And now here it is, finally. Third time's a charm.

LOSING ALBUMS: The Brimstone Sluggers by Crazy Town; The Return of Bruno by Bruce Willis; Watch Out! by Alexisonfire; Zungguzungguguzungguzeng by Yellowman

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ALBUM DETAILS

GENRE: Pop punk, emo-pop, power pop

RELEASED: September 20, 2005

LENGTH: 49:54

TRACKLIST:

1. Say Anything (Else)
2. Honestly
3. Runaway
4. Matter of Time
5. Burn This City
6. Save Us
7. Luckie St.
8. Settle Down
9. If I Fail
10. The Minstrel's Prayer
11. Q
12. A

LYRICS: Genius.com

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ARTIST DETAILS

PRONOUNS: Members of the band individually prefer he/him/his, as far as I can tell

ABOUT: Cartel formed in 2003 in Rockdale County, Georgia, specifically when the members were all attending Georgia State University. Founding members are Will Pugh (lead vocals, frontman, occasional guitar), Joseph Pepper (lead guitar), Andy Lee (rhythm guitar), Ryan Roberts (bass), and Kevin Sanders (drums). Nic Hudson had replaced Andy Lee by the time they recorded Chroma. Through a few more personnel changes, Pugh, Pepper, and Hudson remain the only three members of the band. Cartel took place in MTV's Band in a Bubble in 2007, where they lived together and had their lives taped for 20 straight days, during which they recorded their follow-up to Chroma. I was more prepared to talk about this the first time Cartel was on a poll, but from what I recall, the experience was not a good one for the band. Cartel still exists, but its members are releasing side projects more recently than any new Cartel material.

DISCOGRAPHY: This is Cartel's debut album. They have released four albums to date. Cartel, from Band in a Bubble, was released in 2007. Then we have Cycles in 2009, and Collider in 2013. 

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ADDITIONAL INFO

READING SOME SHIT: interview with band on the album's 20th anniversary

WATCHING SOME SHIT: Cartel performing the album last year at Warped Tour

RECORD CLUB CONNECTIONS: Cartel are headed back out on Warped Tour this year! The lineup also includes RC alumni Coheed and Cambria, Free Throw, and the Menzingers.

All of Cartel's albums have one-word titles that start with the letter C. Record Club albums that fit that criteria are: CORRESPONDENCE, Complacency, CREAM. I'm honestly surprised there were even three.

Trying to think of other RC alumni that have been featured on MTV reality shows. Best I got are Ozzy Osbourne of Trolls World Tour featured on The Osbournes, and Travis Barker of blink-182 featured on Meet the Barkers and the other show I refuse to name here.

MENTIONS ON THE BLOG: A blog search of "cartel" will by and large return results for drug cartels featured in movies and books that are covered here. The only mention of the band Cartel that I didn't note above already is an offhand mention by Nate on YSC Day 113.

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RECORD CLUB ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

This week's discography dive album: Songs from Under the Sink by Mischief Brew

This week's follow-up album: Contingency Plan by Johnny Football Hero

Listen with us! Keep your favorite Record Club artists in the rotation!

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COUNTDOWN:

69 Weeks Until Week 420

We are tracking and counting down every week from here on out till Record Club Week 420. We started this countdown 69 weeks out. During Record Club Week 420, we will be covering Donny Most by the esteemed Happy Days virgin Donny Most. The goal for Week 420 of Record Club is that it will feature 69 reviews from 69 different people. 

THIS WEEK: We are 33 weeks away from Week 420.

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Happy listening, RC family!
Have a great week!