Not everyone can listen to New Found Glory. Some have to be in a certain mood – even the most die hard of fans. On the group’s latest effort, their seventh in fact, Radiosurgery sees the Florida-based pop-punkers attempting to brighten one’s day, even if they’re not particular scanning through the records to listen to ’em. That’s certainly admirable.
Yet confident, too. And that’s something that’s been missing from their past two releases. Sure, there were golden nuggets to enjoy on 2009’s Not Without a Fight and the slower and more mature Coming Home from 2006, but both LPs fell flat. On Radiosurgery, New Found Glory have found their older, faster, and stronger sound, dishing out anthemic choruses, while still holding on to their “new found” (couldn’t resist) maturity.
Growing up in punk music is all relative, but pop punk would be nothing without songs about broken hearts and failed relationships. There’s no shortage of that here. “Dumped”, “I’m Not the One”, and “Summer Fling, Don’t Mean a Thing” all permeate of lost love and pain. However, instead of drowning in the sorrow of hurt, frontman Jordan Pundik sings about getting over it.
Lead single “Radiosurgery” is the fun single you want to hear from this group. There are plenty of catchy guitar riffs and just enough lyrics that stick, leaving the band to shine in a good way. They may not be the draw they once were back in the Sticks and Stones-era, but they’re back to having fun, which means pop punk lovers are, too. That is, if they’re feeling up to it.
Essential Tracks: “Radiosurgery”, “Dumped”, and “Map of Your Body”