New Found Glory – Coming Home

Do you remember the late 90’s? Nimrod and Dude Ranch were leading the way in the pop-punk spectrum, and soon out from the middle of nowhere came another pop-punk quintet to release the next CD to be the soundtrack of your summer. The band was Florida’s New Found Glory and depending on who you ask, that CD was either Nothing Gold Can Stay or New Found Glory. For me, it was their self-titled effort. It was a CD I feel in love with, it grew with me, and to this day (in fact, I did it today), I can throw the CD in and still sing along to every word and remember the times when I first found the songs. The album came out six years ago and since then, New Found Glory has released three new CDs – Coming Home being their latest – and in the ever changing world of the music industry, the band has been forced to change their sound a bit. And even though Coming Home is a solid pop-punk album, it’s not nearly close enough to hold a torch to their self-titled release.

Somewhere over the past few years, pop-punk has taken a turn for the more ultra-polished sound rather than the slighter rawer, but still melodic sound that used to be coined pop-punk. Coming Home falls victim to this more than anything. The music still good, still catchy, but at the same time, some of the energy that made the band something to be reckoned with as been muffled out and flattened by the slick production and mixing of the album. Jordan Pudnik’s vocals are polished and doesn’t carry his signature articulation sound with him as much anymore. And yes, the lyrics are all about love and relationships, what else do you expect?

Of course, there are a few gems on this album, and nothing can hide those from the ears of the ever youthful pop-punk fan. Songs like the insanely catchy Hold My Hand, Taken Back By You, It’s Not Your Fault and Too Good To Be are definitely worth the repeat button. But then, in contrast to those fun, pop-punk songs, the band has also thrown in a few slower ones like When I Die, which, while it is a good song, slows the momentum of the album.

The biggest shock you get from the album is the slight experimentation the band has taken. Throughout the album, you’re surprised to hear the subtle (and sometimes evident) use of the piano. In others, you get a string section floating in the backdrop. Still, the biggest shock comes in the final track, Boulders, as the slow moving closer is pushed to a higher level with a trio of female vocalists coming in for the final portion. The acoustic Too Good to Be is quite entertaining too.

New Found Glory fans will like this album, it’s far from being the band’s golden release, but it’s still not bad. It has basically followed the pop-punk evolution over the years and while Coming Home may not be the most innovative release, the Floridian quintet will always be a force to be reckoned with. Just throw in their self-titled effort and you’ll remember why they’re where they are today.