Album Release: March 10, 2009What year is it? Calendars and newspapers try their best to convince me it's 2009, but they must be liars. It feels like the summer of 2003, a summer comprised of backyard bar-be-ques, acoustic guitar sing-alongs, and some of the catchiest, most meaningful pop-punk ever listened to by human ears. First, Blink 182 decide to go on tour and release a new album this summer, and then New Found Glory create an album like Not Without a Fight. How am I supposed to believe my eyes, when I can hardly believe my ears?
I wasn't a huge fan of New Found Glory's last two efforts, Catalyst and Coming Home; I missed the hooks and overall poppiness of their older albums. New Found Glory had matured, and I always equate maturity with darkness and solemnness. So, news of a new album didn't phase me. They were starting to remind me of Adam Sandler: abandoning the feel-good attitude of the 90's, and replacing it with mediocrity. Sandler wanted to get back to his comediac roots and made Don't Mess With the Zohan. Not Without a Fight is not Zohan.
Not Without a Fight is good.
The first half of the album is stronger then the later: "Right Where We Left Off" and "Don't Let Her Pull You Down" could both be the next single, following "Listen To Your Friends". Majority of the songs still focus around girls and relationships, but they say write what you know. What I've always admired about NFG was how they're able to take heartbreak with a snide smile ("47"), and their ability to create a dichotomy between rigid, punk music and hopeful lyrics ("Truck Stop Blues"). The content is probably more relatable to high school kids, then say, anyone else, but when nostalgia hits, it feels like I'm home.
Complete with crunching guitars and trademark drum fills, Not Without a Fight feels like it was created right after New Found Glory's breakthrough self-titled album. NWAF is not their best album, but it is pretty comforting to hear something close. I picture myself wearing my old blue Midtown t-shirt, a pair of overly baggy cargo shorts, my old grey-and-green Puma's, and jumping around with my friends, while rocking out to this blasting through the CD player. Catchy and anthemic, each track is made to be sung at the top of your lungs, windows down and driving fast.
Not Without a Fight comes out March 10, 2009 on Epitaph Records.
I hate this band
ReplyDeleteI totally disagree - I liked Catalyst, and really really liked Coming Home, but this album just isn't hitting me like their older stuff. I'm sure it'll grow on me, their albums always do, but my initial reaction is it's kind of lack lust.
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