For any of you that aren't aware, Good Charlotte has begun a successful run in the pop-punk circuit. Benji and Joel through commendable self-promotion have flashed their mugs in the media over the past few years like so many boy bands did in the latter portion of the 90's. Through excessive exposure and catchy power-chord driven anthems, the brothers Madden have gained a reputable career. Their self-titled debut had a few minor hits which can be spotted on every teen movie imaginable in 1999-2000, as well as a few opening gigs for veteran punk rockers. 2002 delivered their sophomore effort, The Young and the Hopeless, and a hit - Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. "Lifestyles" wasn't where I wanted GC to go, but the rest of Young & Hopeless compensated for that. The Backstreet Boys of Punk had hit it big. Several more hits were whored through TRL and Clearchannel, and GC was the next big thing
Now comes The Chronicles of Life and Death, their third release. I don't even know where to begin. I will say, I enjoyed the Young and the Hopeless. It was far from perfect, but I could pretty much tolerate the album as a whole. The things I didn't like about the album, however, are magnified to a epic level on Chronicles. GC wasn't a bitter band. They brushed on the negative while still maintaining sugarcoated songcraft. At the time of their debut, the overproduced pop effect the band had was about all that annoyed me, and I did wish they could get a little more raw. Young and The Hopeless added some darker themes, yet I was still uncomfortable about some things they attempted. They kept the overproduction, but took their whining to a whole new tone. Something about Joel's voice and "sympathize-for-me" attitude made me want to back-hand him and watch the wads of cash litter the ground. Now that GC has tried to go to that level even further in "Chronicles," I've come to realize that GC should simply not be a band. I hate this new "we've had a ***ty life, so let's sing about it on one song, and on the OTHER song, we'll sing about how you can hold your head up in an uninspired, overproduced track. Oh, and better yet, let's come up with cliche titles to make us look like struggling soft-hearted badasses like: The World is Black and In This World (Murder)." What's happening boys? It's like they're going Eminem on us by abusing their hardships of a broken home. So slap on a few more peircings and throw on enough tattoos that could practically substitute for clothing. Or better yet, how about you make an album, call it "Chronicles of Life and Death," and let me hear it in advance so I can tell people what it really is? Does that sound good? Alright then. Track for track, my friends - I present Good Charlotte's "The Chronicles of Life and Death."
01. Once Upon a Time: The Battle of Life and Death - Much like a continuation of Young and the Hopeless' opener, GC gives us a haunting work like it's straight from a Tim Burton flick. A female chorus chants as an organ and strings spin through a notable instrumental. I do like this concept, I will admit. It almost begins the album as if you are to enter a story, and it sets up an epic atmosphere. It's unfortunate this intro couldn't live up to the Chronicles. I can't say it's perfect, but it is what it is - a short hint of what is to come, or at least what we would hope what is to come. B+
02. The Chronicles of Life and Death - The songs sets up the imagery of birth in a bouncy, catchy verse and chorus. Of course, it's followed with life lessons of misdirection. "Money talks in this world, that's what idiots will say." Thanks GC. A few more mentions of begining and ending in the cold with blood just don't match up to a pop-punk song like this one. They sound like a bunch of drama queens in this one. I will commend the riffs and production, yet it just doesn't add up like it should. B-
03. Walk Away (Maybe) - It seems like GC has gone into an insecure medium of emo/pop/punk/rock. This song COULD work, if it wasn't Good Charlotte. I know I should go into an open mind, but Joel's voice is showing signs of displacement. A few shining moments, but overall a peice of filler that GC was probably hoping would survive on the fact they added "Murder" to the title of it in parenthesis. Nice try, manginas. C+
04. S.O.S. - OK, I'm a sucker for acoustic intros, and this track is no exception. It breaks into a decent riff on Benji's part, but the chorus just doesn't follow through with the buildup given. Decent lyrics, but I'm still waiting for something more. B-
05. I Just Wanna Live - Cheap synthesized strings open this track, but this seemed like Tchaikovsky when my biggest horrors had been fulfilled: GC begins a rap attempt. Granted, it leans more towards vocals than actual rapping, yet it is enough to make your cringe til' your face aches. The chorus isn't much of a gem either. Joel mixes high-pitched vocals in the chorus as he howls "I just wanna live!" This song really burned me not only due to the aforementioned, but also due to the fact that "I Just Wanna Live" refers to GC's plead to live their life regardless of their fame. Oh no, it gets worse. Lyrics are 'rapped' like, "I rock a lawsuit when I'm goin to court/ A white suit when I'm gettin divorced/ A black suit at the funeral home/ And my birthday suit when I'm home alone/ Talkin on the phone gotta interview with the Rolling Stone/ They're saying now you're rich and now your famous/ Fake ass girls all know your name." They even refer to their first hit, "Lifestyles..." This song shouldn't have even been done as a joke privately in the studio. It deserves to not exist. F
06. Underneath This Smile - A decent chorus falls victim to over-production, and poor delivery in its verses. Commendable lyrics COULD have saved this song, but they fall short. C
07. Predictable - This one is actually the first single off of "Chronicles," if you weren't aware. Fortunately for this song, I've been exposed to it enough to get over some of the initial setbacks that occur throughout it. I would have to wager that this track is a good mix of everything that "Chronicles" is about. Catchy melodies rise up from dark, brooding, and whiny themes. There are a few risks GC takes which actually work in this song. The part with Joel shouting in the bridge actually DO work. Not the best attempt, but it is a change that scrapes by as acceptable. Overall, it's decent. B-
08. Secrets - OK, I do admire the intro to this song. It is upbeat and has a successful dramatic delivery. The chorus isn't half bad, but it lacks. Joel's voice just isn't meant for this chorus. Don't get me wrong, it manages to work, but it could have been so much better. Not much else I can say about this one. Just barely surpassing 'filler' status. B-
09. The Truth - A brooding ballad which sets off with slow piano chords and eventually muted drum beats. Joel tries to shout a few times and falls short, once again. I will give him credit for displaying some convincing emotion throughout this peice. I like the choice of instrumentation and production, and even the lyrics fit alright, but Joel - c'mon buddy...hand over the mic or find a song which fits your vocal style. I'm going to be generous. B
10. The World is Black - Good rhythm and beat lined with acoustic guitars and interesting choice of effects. Joel's vocals DO work with this song. It's an acceptable progression for the band that Good Charlotte is. I can enjoy this song, aside from my qualms with their choice of titles. Lyrics aren't outstanding (sounds much like repetition from their last album), but the writing and instrumentation picks up where that lacks. B
11. Mountain - If Good Charlotte wished to go for a more emo/alternative approach, this is song is the direction that they want to go. This song is what "Chronicles" should be all about. Joel even attempts a little screamo in here, and it actually works. He accomplished the soaring vocals which I had no idea he was capable of. The lyrics fit great in here as well. Although simple, they comprise a wonderful, anthemic tune. Great work. A
12. We Believe - This song went exactly where I thought it was headed, based on it's title. Another spin on their past single, "Hold On." A song about the hardships of others and how we can be there for them. The opening riff is a little too reminiscent of DMB's "Crash," but it doesn't matter too much as the rest of the song takes its own sound. It's not a bad song, and I have to set aside my personal distaste of GC's continual support anthems. It works, but it's nothing memorable. Worth a few listens more than most of what "Chronicles" has had to offer, though. B
13. It Wasn't Enough - A little bit of the familiarity of Good Charlotte's past work make up the verses of this tune falling into a haunting slow tempo chorus. The verses seem more welcome than the chorus, however. A decent mix of the old with the new. Nothing memorable, but a noticeable progression in their songcraft. C+
14. In This World (Murder) - Benji uses a similar effect on this songs opener that many alternative bands use today (think Shinedown's "Fly From the Inside"- a very noticeable comparison). An eiree approach uptempo ballad which really shines towards the end, but can't really deliver on many other aspects. Just another example that Good Charlotte hasn't fully found a satisfying point in their style. It's more progressive than most of their work, and I will give them that. The end of the song ends in some powerful orchestrated bursts of strings and chorus I might add. I did enjoy that only because this album made one of few attempts to actually grab my attention. B-
Hidden Track - An acoustic ballad appears roughy 7 minutes into the last track. Not too bad, but I can see why GC would hide it IF their album could have actually competed with ANYTHING. Might as well have slapped this one on there with the rest of your clutter, fellas.
