ALBUM REVIEW: Generation Rx – Good Charlotte

In fairness to GOOD CHARLOTTE, what were you expecting from their comeback? While the artistic quality of their return over the last two years can be questioned, it’s hard to dispute they were in a ‘damned if we do, damned if we don’t’ situation. Whether you find their rebound into the spotlight refreshing, or underwhelming; just be glad they’re not trying to sell the same concepts they were 16 years ago but this time accompanied by a haggard view of the worlds antics.

With that said, it is difficult to remove your mental bubble wrap from GOOD CHARLOTTE and listen to them as anything other than a light hearted pop punk band. The quintet are arguably just as synonymous with early 00s pop punk as any other band bar BLINK 182 – but both new record Generation RX and its predecessor Youth Authority are as far a cry from their youthful tones as you could imagine.

Generation RX doubles down on the pop rock tones the band established two years ago, with the added ingredient of mild, and unusual flirtation with techno rock. Self Help comes across as an overly forced attempt at being filled with modern intrigue; large techno scapes, echoing vocals and even a mini breakdown chucked in for good measure – it’s musical spaghetti junction.

Vocalist Joel Madden keeps tight control over the record with his melodies, and the rare moments where Generation RX becomes an interesting listen are down to Madden‘s distinctive tone. The one two of Prayers and Cold Song are at least convincing in their emotive outreach, hardly lyrical genius but there’s enough here to distract from the bland zones that both precede and follow the two tracks on the album.

There’s no doubt that GOOD CHARLOTTE have geared this album to sit on the laps of those that are looking for easy listening rock, which doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. But as you’d expect, this does handicap Generation RX for most of its play-time. The quintet seem so obsessed on the idea of sounding big enough to fill an arena that production has been prioritised over craftmanship. Shadowboxer 1 and Actual Pain would actually be decent rock numbers if they were allowed to be a little rougher round the edges and allow guitarist Benji Madden to explore a riff that could hit from left of centre.

Not even ARCHITECTS frontman Sam Carter, who makes a frankly bizarre cameo on Leech, can pull the album from mediocrity. The blend between both Joel and Sam sounds about as odd as you’d expect – especially when GOOD CHARLOTTE have just spent the last 20 minutes sounding about as far away from metal as possible. If anything the track tells the story of Generation RX: the endeavour is there but the end product is lacking.

The inescapable fact is that GOOD CHARLOTTE‘s legacy has already been imprinted into music, with over 11 million album sales, and one of the most cherished pop punk bands of all time; their history will live forever. By this token there’s not a whole lot for the band to lose at this point, but all the will in the world doesn’t change the fact that Generation RX is going to struggle to leave a lasting impression on anyone who isn’t already a hardcore fan of the band.

Rating: 5/10

Generation Rx is set for release on September 14th via MDDN label/BMG.

For more information on GOOD CHARLOTTE like their official page on Facebook.