Why You Should Buy And Love Good Charlotte's "The Young And The Hopeless"

First off, I should note that I too thought their were the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked based on the videos from their first album. "Little Things" and "Festival Song" were awkward teen-baiters that promoted everything I didn't want to hear flaunted. They were like Baby Lit. Now they're Baby Clash. And it totally freaks me out!

The album kicks off with "A New Beginning" which basically is an instrumental that sounds like Mercury Rev meets Slayer. Nuff said.

Then comes "The Anthem" which is basically that. A litany of standard punk teen problems made unique by a chorus lifted straight from "H to the Izzo" and the ironic chant of "Another Loser Anthem! Woah-oh!" in the coda. Like all the music here, it's played with the same staggering damn-near-superhuman force (and cleanliness!) one could find on the best of Guns'n'Roses "Appetite For Destruction". The production on the album is basically Dust Bros.-meets-Wagner, so people who wanna keep it Albini should stick with the Desaparecidos album, which is even better (similar qualities but smarter lyrics and shorter) but doesn't require this elaborate defense.

Also, it should be noted this album has the same producer, Eric Valentine, as Queens Of The Stone Age. If you didn't bemoan their studio hi-jinks (best thing about that album, imo), you should definitely not hold it against these guys either.

After "Anthem" comes "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous" which, as I said in an article I wrote a few months back, rips off Def Leppard, Chris Rock and "Lust For Life". And totally kicks ass for all three of those reasons.

Then comes "Wondering" which strikes the same damn chord as those great Weezer b-sides "You Gave Your Love To Me Softly" and "I Just Threw Out The Love Of My Dreams" giddy keyboards, sweet vocals (it should be mentioned here that Joel and Benj have WONDERFUL harmonies. Lovely!) and when Joel sings "everybody woah-oh-oh, needs somebody that they can trust ih-ih-in" the Morrissey influence is strong and potent.

One of the great things about Good Charlotte is that though they constantly bring to mind numerous wonderful bands either through sonic or lyrical references, the songs are in no way collages. Melodically its as tight as the goddamn Beatles.

"The Story Of My Old Man" is one of the more blatantly punk tracks music-wise, though that doesn't stop Joel from saying "Again" like he's on American Idol. Lyrically its one of two tracks that depict the twins relationship and feelings about their deadbeat dad who abandoned them as wee lads. It should be noted that they don't merely scream "WHAT DID YOU DOOOOO TOO MMEEE?" like so many bands, but instead talk about what their dad was going through. It's called empathy folks, and its rare in bands today.

The twinkly keyboards come back for "Girls & Boys" which quotes Blur and Madonna. And not necessarily ironically! They're against soulless capitalism too, but not against pretty melodies. My sister thinks this song sounds like Boston. But she likes it!

Fans of "Accidental Evolution Of Rock'n'Roll" should appreciate an album where everything is fine and normal and then A MURDER HAPPENS! That's right, after "My Bloody Valentine" dispenses with its seven-second impersonation of the group referenced in the title, Joel than recounts how he killed your boyfriend so that you could date him. Violins swarm all over the place, creepy keyboards echo off cold castle walls, as Edgar Allen Poe inspires some sick fantasy about boys begging him not to do what he had to do because he's SO IN LOVE WITH YOU! I wish they'd make this one a single but they'd get in trouble fast if anybody other than kids heard this one.

"Hold On" is their entry in the "Don't Close Your Eyes"/"Jumper"/"Everybody Hurts" anti-suicide sweepstakes. Damn good one too.

The best song on the album is possibly "Riot Girl" (finally spelled correctly!), which is basically the flip side of "Sk8terboi" (which was oddly mispelled!). "She's got tattoes, she's got piercings, she likes Minor Threat she likes Social Distortion my girl's a hot girl a hood rat who needs an attitude adjustment" sez Joel, who then disses Britney and Xtina in favor of his punk princess (who probably looks like Brody from the Distillers, who's married to Tim from Rancid, who Joel totally apes on the second verse!). It's kinda nice to hear a bunch of young guys sing about a girl they like after all the scared'o'girls shit you hear these days from Blink on down.

Another thing I like about these guys is that unlike Blink 182, who actually sing like they're 15, these guys ADMIT they're 23 and sing about teen issues from their own age's perspective.

"Say Anything" is the slow jam, the 3EB number that shamelessly steals from John Cusack and the Backstreet Boys (check out the way they say "On my mihhinndd..." with true teen-pop soul) and yet totally makes me cry everytime. One of the few songs I've ever heard that actually sounds like a heartbroken young dude who STILL LOVES YOU. (Sorta like how the ballad at the end of Kelly Osbourne's album actually sounds damn unprofessional in its profuse adoration).

Winner for best track may also be "The Day That I Die" which I believe is sung by Benji, the Noel Gallagher of this band. Sounds to me like the best damn Social Distortion song ever done. Also another song that should fuck with parents heads: Benj wakes up knowing he's gonna die today, so he tells his mom he loves her, takes his dog Cashdogg for a walk, hangs out with friends down in DC, thinks about whether he lives his life right and prepares for death. Is it about suicide? terminal illness? being born again? Gives me chills every time. My friend Ben was surprised to know it was Good Charlotte because its so straightforward and vocally melodic. Now he knows.

Then the title track basically reaffirms everything. A fine song, but thematically somewhat redundant.

"Emotionaless" is a heartbreaking letter written to their dad about how they don't know why he left them or what the hell goes on his mind (what kid ever does in that situation?) but lifts from Whitney to tell him It's not Ok, but they're alright. I think its sweet the way he turns into Eddie Vedder during the bridge. Cuz it reaffirms that these guys watched MTV as much as I did.

I mean, that's part of what makes them so great. Like sooo many kids in America, MTV was the only place you could hear rap, alternative, pop, etc. etc. Good Charlotte are fine punks indeed (see the liner notes for cred and sell-out meditation), but they KNOW too much about the great pop sounds out there not to put them to use! Beck gets a pat on the back for this, since it's "ironic." These guys do it earnestly, LIKE THE BEATLES!!!!!

"Movin' On", my girlfriend's fave track on the album, sends you off with a pat on the back and a scorching riff. "Some friends become your enemies/ some friends become your family/ make the best with what you're given/ this ain't dying/ this is livin'."

Ummm, so yeah. Anybody heard this album? I'm damn desperate to hear perspectives from people who heard the thing. Not just people who are mad that Christian MTV hosts say they're punks.