Cartel last played in State College barely two years ago, but concert-goers heading to Tuesday's show at Lulu's might not recognize the band.

Quite frankly, the Georgia fivesome has grown up.

The last time the band was here, lead singer Will Pugh maligned the lack of a pop punk "revolution" and talked of his band's intent to transform the genre.

This time around, when asked if that revolution had happened, Pugh responded with a flat "No," though he was certainly content with what his band has done so far.

"We've done our part to try to bring something new to the genre," Pugh said. "We've already achieved most of what we set out to achieve, so now we just have to keep it going."

Pugh said Cartel's music is different from "generic pop" and offered the band's Southern roots as a key reason.

"We have a good sense of courage," he said. "There's something about Southern guys. They just don't care."

Last year, Cartel released a self-titled record as a follow-up to 2005's Chroma. Pugh said the newer record has a much different energy.

"Chroma was just jabbing you in the face for 60 minutes, but we had such a positive response [to some of the slower tracks]," Pugh said. "This one changes things up a lot more."

Overall, Pugh said, Cartel was a more complete record, because instead of putting all the slower songs on the end of an otherwise up-tempo record, it has a more consistent, well-paced feel.

A big reason for the change in style, Pugh said, is how the songs were written in the first place.

"We wrote most of the last record on Warped Tour, on acoustic guitar," he said. "Power chords don't sound good on an acoustic guitar, so you don't play them."

The change may be for the better. Cartel has sold significantly better than Chroma did, charting as high a 20 on the Billboard while its predecessor reached only 140.

Garrett Bogden (junior-marketing), who plays drums for Cloverleaf, one of the show's openers, has been listening to Cartel for a few years and was at the band's last performance in State College, two years ago at Crowbar.

Bogden said he likes where the band is going.

"The new record is a lot more rock," he said. "And they have more exposure now and the songs are more radio-friendly."

Promoter Ted Swanson, however, said it was the strength of Cartel's first album that makes it such a draw.

"There are a lot of kids who got into that record a few years ago, when they were in high school, and now a lot of those kids are in college," he said. "For three years now, Cartel has been one of the most requested bands. Top five, definitely."

Laura Pendergrass (freshman-health and human development) saw Cartel for the first time last year in Atlanta and said she has loved the band ever since, although she prefers Chroma to the eponymous follow-up.

Pendergrass said she was drawn in by the band's energetic live performance.

"I've never been to a show that was so charged," she said. "I really like the energy they bring to their shows."

Pugh said he tries to channel legendary Queen frontman Freddie Mercury for his live performance and has always drawn vocal influences from likely sources such as the Beatles and the Beach Boys.

Lately, though, he has branched out.

"I've really started to appreciate top 40 pop," he said. "And I never really got [Radiohead vocalist] Thom Yorke's voice until I heard In Rainbows. But after that, I went back and listened to all of it."

Pugh said he and his bandmates are constantly trying new things, and that curiousity is what separates them from other bands.

"We have a style without having a style, and we get bored with the same things," he said. "Any band worth its salt can write three-and-a-half-minute pop songs. It's not hard. But a lot of people are starting to get sick of the status quo. The question now is: how do we keep pushing the bar?"