 
Well that was certainly a shocker, was never expecting to see that name crop up again! 4 year hiatus, 6 years since the last album. Bare in mind I was never a massive fan but you couldn’t go anywhere at one point without hearing “Anthem”, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” or “The River” blaring away it was all over TV, radio and nightclub favorites. I can’t lie and say I know much more than that about their past but from what I gathered they were melodic, energetic and anti establishment.
This however is very much not like that, initially I thought I’d gotten it wrong and it was a different band’s album because it was so soft. Overtime I’ve come to appreciate many of the songs here but I’m still confused, with a title like Youth Authority and the legacy they had left behind (unless I’ve got them totally wrong) would suggest that this was going to be very in your face and powerful which it just totally isn’t. Not to say it’s bad because on the contrary I find it very infectious and therapeutic to listen to; “Life Can’t Get Much Better”, “The Outfield” and “Life Changes” in particular but in a much lighter way compared to old school tracks such as “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”.
So the finally Verdict is a positive one. I very much liked the album and it will make its way into my everyday playlist but alas I foresee a grave future for Good Charlotte. Unless they can come forth next with an album with a bit more life in it then they run a likely risk of falling into the generic pop rock ballad territory and from there it would be very hard to recover. This is a good comeback but I’m still waiting for the fire to erupt signifying a promising future for these guys.
3.5/5
Review by James Webb
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