Review by Markus Hamence – Chavez Cartel: For Better Or Worse, Saturday 29 November 2025
Chavez Cartel have dropped their new track ‘For Better Or Worse’, and, it’s something!
Chavez Cartel’s latest single For Better or Worse lands with that addictive mix of grit and vulnerability the band thrives on. From the first few seconds, the track builds a mood that feels both cinematic and intimate, leaning into a ’90s-tinged alt-rock atmosphere without ever sounding nostalgic or stuck. The guitars shimmer with tension, the rhythm section pulses with a slow-burn swagger and the vocal delivery pulls everything into a space that’s raw, lived-in and emotionally high-stakes. It’s a kind of track that gets you to lean in – and then drags you straight into it’s world.
“The song never over-polishes its edges – and that’s its charm…”
– Markus Hamence
What cuts deepest is the emotional honesty. The band has said it’s a love song “but a complete mess of a love”, and you can feel that truth in every bar. Ben Simpson‘s vocals are brilliantly on-point, smooth and complex at the same time – the emotion and turmoil is delivered in spades. There’s longing, frustration, surrender and defiance all tangled together and the lyrics never try to tidy that up. Instead, the song embraces the chaos of real connection – the kind of relationship that both anchors you and unravels you. The delivery feels more like a confession than a performance, which gives the whole track a charged, human presence.
The production strikes that perfect balance between rough and radiant. The song never over-polishes its edges – and that’s its charm. The guitar lines glow with melancholy, the vocals sit forward with a crackling intensity, and the contrasts between the melodic highs and emotional heaviness keep the track feeling alive and restless. It’s powerful without bluffing, dramatic without melodrama. It’s actually pretty freaking epic tbh.
“…the rhythm section pulses with a slow-burn swagger and the vocal delivery pulls everything into a space that’s raw, lived-in and emotionally high-stakes…”
– Markus Hamence
For Better or Worse is Chavez Cartel at their most open-veined and atmospheric – a darkly beautiful release that lingers long after the final chord fades. It’s a bruised little gem that proves the band know exactly how to take heartbreak, amplify it, and turn it into something that hits the chest with real force.
Chavez Cartel keep on growing, developing their sound AND keep delivering the creative goods.
NOW, can we sort a 2026 Australian lads?!
Chavez Cartel are:
Tom Isaacs – Drums
Jack Kelly – Guitar
Josh Kemp – Bass
Ben Simpson – Vocals
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