Artist: New Found Glory
Album: Coming Home
Label: Geffen Records
Purchase: Amazon
Release Date: September 19, 2006
Overall: 9.3
Music: 9.5
Lyrics: 9.2
Production: 9.3
As part of the old Drive-Thru roster, New Found Glory were kings among their peers. Hell, even traditional punk bands enjoyed their company as opposed to other acts of the same nature. It all seems like so long ago. Times have changed and somehow, New Found Glory, despite all their previous success, still haven’t seemed to catch on to the younger generation.With their constantly maturing sound, chances of that happening are slimming, but if we can keep getting records as good as this one, I don’t care. People still tend to write them off, though. New Found Glory are ready to prove they’re beyond “just a pop-punk” band on their newest full length, “Coming Home.”
The first and most notable change is vocalist Jordan Pundik’s vocals. Long have complaints about his voice being too nasally come from critics and fans alike, but no more. Jordan’s new style has him singing in a lower octave and taking full advantage of his new found range. To help him along, the band are playing in lower keys and it’s only helping the songs more and more.
The album plays through like a nostalgia trip while still managing to sound fresh at the same time. The mid-tempo “Oxygen” opens it all, already signaling a change in the music itself, but when “Hold My Hand” starts, shades of New Found Glory’s traditional pop-punk shine through. First single “It’s Not Your Fault” helps showcase the new maturity in the band’s songwriting abilities and even tugs at the heartstrings. Title track “Coming Home” is definitely classic New Found Glory with it’s bounce-along verses and huge chorus. The rest of the disc keeps combining everything there was to love about the band before and all of the new elements that help raise them above the crowd.
“Coming Home” is an album that I can see people over thirty listening to with no problem. It has enough to offer younger and older generations and still be able to please them. Usually, New Found Glory albums are perfect summer soundtracks, but I’m really enjoying spinning this one with the fall weather that’s rolled in. For some reason, I think this album is going to be underappreciated, so I urge everyone to take a listen and then spread the word about how awesome this record is.
Track Listing
1. Oxygen
2. Hold My Hand
3. It’s Not Your Fault
4. On My Mind
5. Coming Home
6. Make Your Move
7. Taken Back By You
8. Too Good To Be
9. Love and Pain
10. Familiar Landscapes
11. When I Die
12. Connected
13. Boulders
I agree completely, NFG has come a long way from their older works. Don’t get me wrong I love their self titled, “Sincerely Me” and “Boy Crazy” are two of my all time favorite NFG songs, but the progression of both Pundik’s vocals and the band as a whole are amazing. Trevor is right spread the word this is a great album.