Source: Album Artwork
So Good Charlotte will be releasing their new album on 15th July 2004… err 2016. This year has felt a little insane; we’ve had new Simple Plan, new Blink-182, new Saosin and now finally, some new Good Charlotte as well. Six years since their last album Cardiology, the Maryland bred band are now releasing their sixth studio album Youth Authority, which even features some guest vocals from Kellin Quinn (Sleeping With Sirens) and the one we’re really excited about: Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro).
Just by listening to the tracks they’ve shared so far, you get a pretty good idea of what this album is all about. One thing is evident throughout: there is no formula. There has never been a formula. Good Charlotte have never tried to be anything other than unapologetically themselves. If you’re expecting the new *insert fav album*, sorry you’ll be let down. They’ve never been known to replay the same old tricks, and that much hasn’t changed. If instead you’re expecting to hear exactly what Good Charlotte should sound like in 2016, chances are you’ll probably be quite happy with what you find. It’s nothing drastic – the record’s still jam packed with upbeat, accessible rhythms and Joel and Benji Madden still harmonise beautifully.
’40 oz. Dream’ is quite comparable to ‘Girls & Boys’ if you need a reference – it’s very tongue in cheek: “I called my mum and she was taking selfies,”; and though they’re mocking the breed of rockstars who just aren’t “rockstar” enough, it’s almost like a middle finger up to the critics who ever gave them shit for experimenting with their sound. Fittingly, the song is very light and beachy because essentially it’s just intended to be a fun song.
Speaking of middle fingers, the theme continues on in ‘Keep Swingin’, where the Maddens‘ familiar, throaty voices very much contrast Kellin Quinn‘s smooth, high-pitched vocals: “‘Cause you know they ain’t got no soul now/ Even when they said we sold out / We’ll keep swingin’ and we all just go down saying and playing what we think.”
Having worked closely with young bands like 5SOS and Waterparks, it’s also interesting to see the influence on this album. ‘Stray Dogs’ could very well have been written for 5SOS; laced with saccharine sweet melodies made for singing along with ease. In contrast, we’re also suckers for past references – “We were the young and hopeless,” Madden croons in ‘The Outfield’ a track that sounds miles away from the angsty album they’re looking back on. Fans will definitely still eat this one up though as it’s an anthem for making it out of the emo teen phase of the early noughties.
Having previously had an album closer called ‘Movin’ On’ we’re confused why the final track here is also called ‘Moving On’ – what’s that about guys? Though it begins sounding like a swan song, it’s yet another beautiful tribute to fans who’ve stuck around. Not sure how they’ve managed to emulate this, but through its slow pace transitions, it sounds like curtains closing at the end of a chapter.
At the end of the day, the most attractive thing about the quintet’s music has always been how simple it is. They’ve never been the most talented musicians, and never pretended to be either. It was always about music that although simple, sounds and feels good. Let us say this – new Good Charlotte sounds good, and it sure as hell feels good to have them back.
