Still known by many as the sneering, spiky-haired poster boys of 2000s pop-punk, over the past 25 years Good Charlotte have expanded their sound far beyond the bratty outcast anthems, suburban angst, and soaring choruses that defined their early days.
Leaning into gothic theatricality on 2004’s ‘The Chronicles Of Life And Death’ and dabbling in dance-punk with the electro-infused ‘Good Morning Revival’, their last major shift came on their 2018 album ‘Generation Rx’, where they traded nostalgia for a collection of dark, post-hardcore-adjacent songs battling with addiction and societal pressure in the shadow of fame.
That sense of anguished introspection suited the Maryland band down to the ground, but ‘Motel Du Cap’ leans into something brighter, with the titular establishment serving as a loose conceptual frame for the record.
It’s introduced as a place where someone might look back, recharge, and figure out what comes next.
On the reflective end of the spectrum is Rejects, a track that taps into the angst-ridden catharsis and meditation on childhood trauma that became their signature on ‘The Young And The Hopeless’. It’s got a chorus built to be howled from teenage bedrooms after slamming the door in frustration, Joel Madden belting out a bleak confession: “Sometimes I still wish I wasn’t born at all.”
It’s a strong start but, sadly, not one that sticks. By attempting to break new ground while simultaneously calling back to their roots, much of ‘Motel Du Cap’ struggles with a confused identity. Stepper is a swaggering track full of ego, extravagance and awkward lines, while there’s lacklustre pop-rock in I Don’t Work Here Anymore limp alt-pop in Life Is Great, where Wiz Khalifa tells us how much he likes weed while Madden sings the track’s title with so little conviction that it’s hard to tell if it’s a joke or not.
But ‘Motel Du Cap’ does shine when it embraces the band’s journey. Guest features bring thoughtful nods to the next wave of Maryland musicians, with Zeph lending a hand on bouncy track Pink Guitar and country-pop newcomer Luke Borchelt showcasing his twang on the sweetly sentimental Deserve You. Elsewhere, break-up anthem Mean and the all-too-brief Vertigo also tap into the heart-on-sleeve pop-punk spirit that made Good Charlotte icons of the scene.
Reflecting on their legacy, the closing moments of ‘Motel Du Cap’ are what truly save it. Firstly, there’s the emotional double-punch of The Dress Rehearsal and Castle In The Sand, which see the Madden brothers processing the loss of their father and their own journeys into parenthood. Written and recorded with Charlie Puth, the former is especially poignant; a frank admission of regret, growth, and the hope of doing better for the next generation.
Closer GC Forever leans further into that introspection, sampling old interviews with the band in an attempt to tie past, present, and future together in one bass-heavy, nostalgic bow. Drifting between youthful defiance and mature rumination, Good Charlotte’s latest doesn’t always stick the landing, but there are plenty of moments that prove why their refusal to fit the mould has stood the test of time. ‘Motel Du Cap’ is clumsy at points but, ultimately, it’s a sincere attempt to bridge where the Madden brothers have been with where they’re going.
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