 Good
Charlotte Get Serious With The Chronicles Of Life And
Death
mtv.com
"It sounds like Good Charlotte — it just
sounds like we did a lot of growing up in the last two
years." — Good Charlotte's Benji Madden
The dour title The Chronicles of Life and Death is
the first indication that Good Charlotte have moved
beyond juvenile humor — like celebrity bashing
("Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous"), heavy-handed
self-deprecation ("The Young and the Hopeless")
and the shallow, material differences between the sexes
("Girls & Boys") — that marked their
last album.
The other indication that this definitely isn't the
same pop-punk band as before hits you like a blind-sided
slap almost immediately upon hearing a sample of their
third album, which is due October 5: Absent from the
six-song preview are the bouncy, pogo-inducing melodies,
sing-songy vocals and accelerated tempos. Dynamic tunes
with textures, depth, and even keyboards (courtesy of
guitarist Billy Martin) take their place.
"I'd say this is the happiest I've been with anything
we've done," boasted guitarist Benji Madden. "When
you hear it, it sounds like Good Charlotte — it
just sounds like we did a lot of growing up in the last
two years."
The album's first single, "Predictable,"
introduces such musical sophistication with a string
arrangement, but before you assume that Good Charlotte
have morphed into Coldplay, singer Joel Madden breaks
into a broken-hearted, spoken-word rant. "The World
Is Black" is, unsurprisingly, a depressing tune
and features the chorus of "The World is black/
Hearts are cold/ There's no hope/ That's what we're
told," but the keyboards add an unexpected bounce.
"Walk Away" blends pummeling hard-rock verses
with rudimentary indie-rock strumming. Only the tentatively
titled "Chronicles," which may take on the
full name of the album, features a classic punk stomp.
Blink-182's latest, untitled album, a relatively dark
departure from their previous work, is a good pop-punk
comparison.
"It's a little more serious," Joel said.
"But there's definitely some fun moments, too,"
Benji countered, so as not to position the album as
solely for misanthropes. "I definitely think the
main message of our band is hope, and a running theme
in this record, too, is hope."
Chronicles is also something of a collector's item
for GC's fans. Two versions will be issued: a Life album
and a Death album, each bolstered by a different bonus
track. Guitarist Martin created different cover artwork
for each album. Chronicles, which was recorded earlier
this year in Los Angeles, is also expected to feature
a few guests, though no one was confirmed yet.
Besides the improved musicianship, the lyrics and themes
on the album have also grown up a bit. "We spent
a lot of time in the last two years on the road, dealing
with relationships and success," Benji explained.
"It's a very human record, and I think people
are going to get to know us a lot better when they listen
to these songs," Joel said. "These songs are
very personal, very human."
Back
to Top
|
