Cycling back toward quality

Music fans are damn fickle. On top of the pop-punk world with its widely respected debut, “Chroma,” Cartel saw fans turn on away when the band recorded 2007’s follow-up in a bubble sponsored by Dr Pepper and broadcast on MTV.

But armed with a rediscovered underdog complex and a refined sound, Cartel are in a position to bat away all the flip-floppers from the bandwagon with “Cycles.”

Whereas the recorded-in-a-bubble, self-titled release had no heart or energy, “Cycles” is kinetic and emotive, as efforts like “Conventional Friend” and “Retrograde” see frontman Will Pugh let loose to prove he has one of the best voices around.

Though nothing here stands up to the pop-punk near-masterpiece that is “Chroma,” Cartel have nuzzled into a very solid and polished pop-rock niche. Even repetitive lyrics cannot keep “27 Steps” and “Only You” from being instantly catchy.

With hopes of radio success long gone, Cartel have found an identity with “Cycles” that should keep fans from ditching the band ever again.