Youth Authority
Good Charlotte
MDDN
Three stars
When twins Joel and Benji Madden released their debut duo album Greetings from California in 2014 under the name The Madden Brothers, it made sense to assume that Good Charlotte was done for.
That effervescent release showed some songwriting chops the punk-pop group had not displayed for a decade. Thankfully, the newfound melodic nous has also seeped into the band's long-awaited return, Youth Authority – their first album since 2008's lumpy Cardiology. It kicks off with the killer one-two punch of the storming Life Changes and the bouncy Makeshift Love.
The album then veers off course slightly with the irritating 40 oz. Dream – the boys try to showcase their 1990s cred as they rap about MTV and listening to Eazy E.
Life Can't Get Much Better falls the right side of saccharine, with a chorus that is suitable for sports crowds and high-school graduations.
The Outfield, meanwhile, is the kind of pop-punk rush that elder statesmen Green Day would be proud of. Fun and sentimental, Youth Authority is long-awaited return to form.
sasaeed@thenational.ae
