:: Good Charlotte - Good Morning Revival

Good Charlotte

It didn‘t come as a huge surprise to see that Good Charlotte decided to take a new direction on their latest album “Good Morning Revival”. The album's biggest influence is the 1980's synth pop style in contemporary terms. It may not reach their older fans who saw them as punk reformists when they first hit the scene several years ago. The formula is now about one part punk to four parts ’‘modern rock,’‘ with plenty of new-wave synths bolstering the fiery guitars. The brand new single “Dance Floor Anthem” is a very good representation of Good Charlotte's more melodic, poppier sound. You can even tell from the styling in that particular video that this is not the punk-pop band you used to know. Out are the smudgy eyeliner and the purple mohawk - in are tailored suits, skinny ties and aviator sunglasses. Mind you, the song is a pretty good brand of pop music and demonstrate the band's knack for writing a hook. When Good Charlotte goes all-out with the new style, the results are a little spasmodic however. “Get Your Hands Off My Girl” is a bad attempt at rap backed by club music inspired by Junior Sanchez. Some tracks get away from the band's core appeal: the songs are dark and sour, with shimmery electronics and some tortured emo choruses. It's easy to see the maturation in the Madden brothers’ songwriting on such tracks as the catchy “The River,” the pop song “Something Else,” and “Where Would We Be,” a break-up ballad about Joel Madden's split with pop singer Hilary Duff. Good Charlotte has shown its colours musically, and they're probably better for doing it this way. The standard of the lyrics is a vast improvement from before and they still carry their music with a pop-rock edge of infectious choruses, which is a unique quality.