By Nathaniel Lay
Seventeen years. Let’s really think about that for a moment. Did you realize that New Found Glory has been killing it that long? Started in ’97, the band came during the second wave of pop/punk pioneers that really exploded at the start of the 2000s. Though Blink-182 did have a head on them (some five years), both groups were going strong during the important development stages of their genre. Though this particular scene is densely populated these days, there are still groups keeping their sound above the rest, and that includes the godfathers, New Found Glory.
Returning for their eighth studio LP, it sounds as if the band felt a need to prove themselves all over again (though I do not know why; NFG has been top notch their entire career, in my opinion). Whatever the case, Resurrection is not only an excellent album, it’s New Found Glory’s best work since Catalyst. But we’ll get to those comments a little later. For now, let’s go ahead and look back through the band’s impressive career (excluding EP’s and other special releases, sorry).
Nothing Gold Can Stay [1999]
(Eulogy Recordings (initially), then licensed out to Drive-Thru Records)
To follow the independent success of their debut EP, It’s All About the Girls, New Found Glory got the attention of Eulogy Recordings for the creation of Nothing Gold Can Stay. Though the band had a low recording budget for the album (they financed it themselves), Nothing Gold Can Stay easily showcased a band that had already largely grown in two years. It was already leagues ahead of the (obviously) young and amateur EP it preceded, and was enough to sell more than 300,000 copies. Though the band was still finding their calling during this collection, the album had various high points that hinted the future greatness of New Found Glory.
Main Highlights: “3rd And Long,” “You’ve Got A Friend In Pennsylvania,” “2’s & 3’s,” “Winter of ’95.” “Passing Time”
New Found Glory [2000]
(Drive-Thru Records)
Barely twelve months later, the band returned with their sophomore, self-titled hit. The album garnered a ton of attention, taking the band to mainstream levels (partly thanks to the single, “Hit Or Miss”), and eventually becoming gold certified by the RIAA. Even today, listening to this album is much better than a great deal of the band’s “competitors”. It’s not only a lot of fun, but it solidified the sound that New Found Glory practically trademarked in the years that followed. Though this isn’t where the band started, it is the record that truly launched their career.
Main Highlights: “Hit Or Miss,” “Better Off Dead,” “Dressed To Kill,” “Sincerely Me,” “Second To Last”
Sticks And Stones [2002]
(Drive-Thru Records / MCA)
Though New Found Glory reached grand heights around the time of their third LP (gaining headline spots with Warped Tour, and hitting No.4 of Billboard 200, for example, Sticks And Stones was actually a slight step back for the band. Though it is still a strong record for the scene, it wasn’t quite as memorable as the self-titled effort that came previously. Still, tracks like “My Friends Over You” and “Something I Call Personality” seemed to mark the fantastic writing that would later go into the creation of Catalyst. Hell, both are songs I still love to blast to this day.
Main Headlights: “Understatement,” “My Friends Over You,” “Something I Call Personality,” “Head On Collision”
Catalyst [2004]
(Drive-Thru Records / Geffen)
Catalyst has a very soft spot in my heart, as it was the first album of NFG I ever owned. It was thanks to “No News Is Good News” (at the time, featured on a Warped Tour compilation CD) that I first learned of the band. After hearing the record in its entirety, I was a fan eager for more. Ever since, I’ve become excited for every release by the band (with the exception of the From the Screen to Your Stereo set, because I don’t care much for cover songs). And even though I love the NFG discography as a collective work of punk rock genius, I (of course) have my favorites. Catalyst is at the top. There isn’t a single song off this record that I would discard. From the hardcore fused “Intro”, to the hit single, “All Downhill From Here”, to the midway marker, “Doubt Full”, to the closer, “Who Am I?”, Catalyst is fuckin’ golden.
Main Headlights: “Intro,” “All Downhill From Here,” “This Disaster,” “Failure’s Not Flattering,” “At Least I’m Known For Something,” “No News Is Good News”
Coming Home [2006]
(Geffen Records)
Even today, Coming Home is considered the most mature record for New Found Glory. And to be honest, it was my least favorite collection for years. The writing is grand, don’t get me wrong. But at the time, I wasn’t looking for something so alternative and serious. I wanted another Catalyst; something highly energetic and hard-hitting. Coming Home was not that. However, years later, I now find Coming Home to be a comforting record with sweet melodies and strong lyrical content.
Main Headlights: “Oxygen,” “Hold My Hand,” “It’s Not Your Fault,” “Make Your Move,” “Too Good To Be”
Not Without A Fight [2009]
(Epitaph Records)
Fast forward a few years, and NFG returned more to their roots. They brought back the energy, and fused more hardcore-anthems into the mix. Produced by Mark Hoppus of Blink-182, Not Without A Fight was the first record to release from the band’s new label home, Epitaph. It contains several all time favorites to this day, and marked a glorious return for the band. It’s not in the Top 3, but it’s damn close.
Main Headlights: “Right Where We Left Off,” “Don’t Let Her Pull You Down,” “Listen To Your Friends,” “47,” “Tangled Up”
Radiosurgery [2011]
(Epitaph Records)
Radiosurgery is the Even If It Kills Me (Motion City Soundtrack) of New Found Glory’s discography. It has a presence and sound that is very much pop fused and sugary. Though it does have have some great tracks – the title track being one of the best of the record – the album didn’t hold up as well over time as previous releases by the band. Though it may be at the bottom of the list with Coming Home, it’s still a good record that brings to mind the days of Sticks And Stones and the band’s self-titled album.
Main Headlights: “Radiosurgery,” “Anthem For The Unwanted,” “Drill It In My Brain,” “I’m Not The One,” “Dumped”
Resurrection [2014]
(Hopeless Records)
This brings us up to date with New Found Glory. The band started off 2014 strong by announcing UK dates at the end of February (with The Story So Far), and then their new label signing during May (to Hopeless Records). The first single off Resurrection, “Selfless”, came to us early August, and was then followed by “Ready And Willing” a month later.
The actual album opens with the single, “Selfless”, and marks the return of NFG like an overcharged alarm, bursting with energetic power. From there, the title track comes to play, featuring Scott V. of Terror, and hits hard throughout (especially during its breakdown). Already, Resurrection seems to be a contender against its predecessors, and it only continues to impress from here. “The Worst Person” has the kind of raw aggression we heard during the Tip of the Iceberg EP; “One More Round” is bouncy, fun, and catchy as hell; “Vicious Love” soars with a lighthearted attitude that is both poignant and lax; “Angel” seems to be a throwback to Coming Home, only better and sharper; and “On My Own” closes the album defiantly.
Resurrection comes very close to the level of greatness led by Catalyst for this particular fan. It lands at the number two spot on the band’s discography (followed by the band’s self-titled effort), and comes highly recommended. This album has been on constant rotation for a month now here, and I still can’t get enough of it. Anticipatory fans will soon have a lot to love when the record finally drops this early October. Go ahead and pre-order this one without hesitation!
