Long after swapping East Coast class rage for comfy West Coast digs, Joel and Benji Madden (of pop-punk sensation Good Charlotte) make their debut as the Madden Brothers with a Seventies-flavored pop set. The bros meander somewhere between Abbey Road and Hotel California in "California Rain," describing their weather-beaten road to success. But the pristine production undermines any realness, like an amber-tinted Instagram filter. Their vague, radio-friendly protest song "We Are Done," meanwhile, falls flat without a target. Amid so many starry-eyed odes to Cali chill, it hardly makes an impression.
Greetings From California
HOLLYWOOD, CA - JULY 30: Musicians Benji Madden and Joel Madden attend the 98.7 FM's Penthouse Party Pad at The Historic Hollywood Tower on July 30, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for ALT 98.7)
Jason Kempin/Getty Images
