New Found Glory Albums (8)
'Not Without a Fight'
Release Date 3/6/2009
Tracks 12
Label Epitaph Europe
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Not Without a Fight arrives in early 2009, a year in which the intersection between pop-punk and emo-pop has grown impossibly crowded with young, fresh-faced bands looking to funnel their adolescence into hit records. Pitted against that sort of youthful energy, New Found Glory runs the risk of appearing far too old to play this sort of music, the bulk of which caters to teenaged audiences in the first place. Not Without a Fight is par for the pop-punk course, however, receiving a boost from producer Mark Hoppus (who, at the age of 30, was still wooing high-school students with blink-182) and the mature performance of frontman Jordan Pundik, who sounds considerably less nasal here than on previous records. Unrequited love is still Pundik's subject of choice, and he peppers the songs with angry allusions to breakup letters, broken hearts, and unanswered phone calls. Unlike his younger pop-punk contemporaries, though, Pundik no longer seems smitten with the idea of a happy relationship; there are precious few traces of the urgent, here's-to-the-night ethos that other groups champion so heartily. There are also precious few singles here, with nothing approaching the radio-geared playability of "My Friends Over You" -- although "Listen to Your Friends," with its syncopated guitars and ever-present harmonies, does come close. Taken as a whole, Not Without a Fight is a pleasant listen, mature in its outlook, and happily adolescent in its vigor. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
'Tip of the Iceberg/Takin' It Ova!'
Release Date 4/15/2008
Tracks 18
Label B9
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
New Found Glory's album-and-a-half Tip of the Iceberg/Takin' It Ova! consists of an EP packaged along with a full-length album. It comes across as a bit of an odd combination at first -- why not a double disc, or separate releases? -- but the reasoning could have been to play up the set's comic-book references. In addition to the artwork on the cover and in the liner notes, the band itself transforms as it moves from EP to album, right down to crediting the former to New Found Glory and the latter to "the International Superheroes of Hardcore." While the former features the hardcore-tinged punk-pop that is familiar to fans of the group, the album is where things get interesting. In a departure from their usual lighthearted sound, New Found Glory launch into a relentless assault on Takin' It Ova!, pounding and howling with an aggressive hardcore punk sound that is so different as to be downright stunning. (Indeed, the approach is such a switch from the group's 2006 release, Coming Home, that it could be mistaken for a completely different band.) Their past work may have shared some of the more frenetic sounds from the raucous style, but Takin' It Ova! marks one of the first times (if not the first time) that they've made an entire album this way. Hardcore purists may not be pleased by their approach, however. New Found Glory do it all with a knowing wink; they're not quite mocking the genre, but they certainly aren't attempting to break into it, as is obvious from the lyrics. After announcing themselves with "ISHC Theme Song," New Found Glory take on all comers -- knocking screamo and fashion slaves, chastising users of profanity, even calling out delinquent eBay buyers, all with a healthy dose of humor. On "Superhero Sellouts," for example, vocalist Chad Gilbert (aka Captain Straight Edge) calls out Hollywood for its superhero obsession (name-checking everything from Spiderman to Judge Dredd), but does an about-face immediately after by praising the heroic deeds of Indiana Jones on "Just Like Dr. Jones." Between this and songs that can best be described as musical public service announcements (the anti-drug "Captain Straight Edge" and vehicle safety reminder "Seat Belt"), it's obvious that New Found Glory just want to have some fun with this collection. That's just fine -- the album is better for it. ~ Katherine Fulton, All Music Guide
'From the Screen to Your Stereo, Vol. 2'
Release Date 9/10/2007
Tracks 11
Label 3D
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Coming Home'
Release Date 1/1/2006
Tracks 13
Label Drive Thru/Suretone/Geffen
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Most all of New Found Glory's releases have been exuberant pop-punk affairs, practically serving alongside the work of blink-182 as the blueprint to the entire genre for the early 2000s. The guys have been nothing if not consistent for their legion of fans, but there's something about their fifth album, Coming Home, that begs for those earlier fans, who may have retreated in the face of TRL superstardom, to return. It's not that this album blatantly hearkens back to the days of "Hit or Miss." From the album's packaging to the comfortable nature of the music, it actually feels more mature (though the guys really haven't matured at all) in a way that is catchy without seeming to care about radio accessibility. Of course, the songs are absolutely accessible, infectious tracks like "Hold My Hand," "It's Not Your Fault," and "Too Good to Be" instantly ready to tear up the airwaves. Rather, the band is now in a position to simply enjoy itself without needing to forcibly shove saccharine-saturated hooks down the throats of anyone standing nearby. And they seem to realize this fact, reflected in the at-ease spirit of Coming Home. Developing family life (including new marriages and children) and years of experience have conjured up some of NFG's happiest and content lyrics in a while. Heartache is still present (though mostly attributed to familial woes and not high school-related drama), as the music remains energetic and naturally fun. Jordan Pundik's voice is still inherently nasal, but the sugary edge has been removed, leaving him sounding fuller, thus easier to handle. Renowned rock producer Thom Panunzio (who's worked with Tom Petty, Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Alice Cooper, to name a few) undoubtedly had a hand in this transformation, but his expertise simply tweaked what the guys already had, instead of making them something they're not. Make no mistake -- this is a New Found Glory album through and through. It's full of melody, personality, and all the best attributes of their earlier work presented in a way that grows more memorable with each listen. Is it their best work yet? That's debatable. But it sure is satisfying and proves that NFG is far from ready to surrender to all the fresh-faced bands nipping at their heels. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Catalyst doesn't quite graduate New Found Glory from the punk-pop rungs. From its main aesthetic thrust to the pristine mixing and production, this is a slick and durable Drive-Thru missive, micro-tweaked for maximum Warped Tour ROI. Still, the guys in NFG have been at this a while, so a little exploration is not only understandable, it's expected. To that end, Catalyst's East Coast hardcore kickoff is welcome. Even if it's more of a genre exercise than an actual song, "Intro" illustrates the band's desire to grow within its influences, as do cuts like "All Downhill from Here," which suggests the literate tack of the Alkaline Trio, or "Truth of My Youth" and "Failure's Not Flattering," where the rousing melodic jaunt of the Get Up Kids seems to be the model. (That group's James Dewees even contributes some fizzy synthesizer to "Flattering.") As studio budgets grow, so does the scope of an album's requisite power ballad, and Catalyst is no different. Violins and violas chirp urgently in the background of "I Don't Wanna Know," and late-'90s Lillith Fair hopeful Kendall Payne resurfaces with a gorgeous supporting vocal turn behind NFG frogman Jordan Pundik. It's a great track, despite limiting lyrics ("I never cared how I dressed before/But I cared that night") of the sort that plague Catalyst's entirety. Elsewhere, beyond the occasional flirtation with drum programming, more piano, and the irresistible new wave influence in late-album standout "No News Is Good News," New Found Glory stay with their old standby blend of catchy punk-pop inflected with chunkhead metal. Highlights include "This Disaster" and "Doubt Full"; best is the absolutely unstoppable revivalist romp "Your Biggest Mistake," which should rule the half-pipe hi-fi until Hurley's fall line comes out. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
There isn't much difference between Sticks and Stones and New Found Glory's prior, self-titled MCA effort. It's highly accomplished, energetic punk-pop, the harmonies radiating youthful cheer, Jordan Pundik's lead vocals adding a tinge of youthful defiance and vulnerability. It's much more upbeat, for instance, than the opening lines of the opening cut, "Understatement," might portend: "I'm sick of smiling, and so is my jaw." Could it be that they're tiring of their usual upbeat demeanor and slyly slipping in a subversive message there? Not likely -- most of these are still upbeat if ambivalent songs about tense relationship growing pains and breakups, though sometimes colored with the wider territory of finding inner strength, dealing with loss, and coming out of rough experiences for the better. It's more engaging than exciting, and though it sounds pretty radio-ready in the better sense of that term, it does start to blur together over a full-length hearing. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
You know these guys are old-school pop-punk when "Hit or Miss" begins with the words "the needle on my record player has been wearing thin" at a time when CDs had been the dominant format for more than a decade. All kidding aside, this is a cheery but somewhat workmanlike pop-punk hybrid. There are choppy uptempo rhythms, spiky buzzing guitars, and youthful harmonies on these dozen concise, to-the-point tracks. It's not just the fact that all five of them thank their mom and dad in the liner notes that gives this major-label punk a wholesome veneer. For all the punk elements in the music, most of the songs are about girls and sticky breakups/heartbreaks/relationship snags, with some agonizing about identity and remaining true to one's ideals thrown on top. They may have a slightly snotty come-on, but they sound too optimistic, like they're having too good of a time, to seem truly dangerous. That's neither here nor there as far as determining whether the album's good, but since various bands have mined the vibe since the late '70s, you have to really do something interesting with the ingredients to make it special. New Found Glory doesn't do so in an original fashion, though the result is good-natured, and there were less likable young punk bands that could have been honored with a major-label deal in 2000. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
'Nothing Gold Can Stay'
Release Date 10/19/1999
Tracks 12
Label Drive-Thru
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
With an abundance of Lifetime/Promise Ring rip-off bands crawling out from under every suburban nook and cranny, one can't help but suffer from poppy-emo overkill and pray that something else will come up and shift the indie genre into a completely different direction. But then there are bands like A New Found Glory who pull out all the right hooks and harmonies that the hope of bands maintaining a "energetic, sensitive, and happy" tone will remain. A New Found Glory are all about reminiscing about the days of walking to the beach, holding hands with a loved one while loudly singing Michael Jackson's "Thriller." They're all about making mix tapes and anonymously sending it to that special someone. But they're also about trying to pick up the pieces of a shattered relationship by writing a song about it. Also making the moments on Nothing Gold Can Stay is that it doesn't cross that line where you want to scream into the stereo "get over it!" Instead, you just sit back, listen, and relate to their heartfelt days of love lost and found. ~ Mike DaRonco, All Music Guide
