The boys went away, and the men are coming home!
Florida pop/punkers New Found Glory come pogoing out with their fifth studio album, one that singer Jordan Pundik confidently suggests will, "Stand the test of time!" It is an album that they suggest catches them at their happiest time. For the first time they believe that they don't have to release an album full of fast catchy punk tunes, and this in itself shows a degree of maturity. Take first single, "It's Not Your Fault" which starts off slowly and builds into a mid tempo tune, that may well still have the big catchy chorus, but somehow sits with enough originality to gain a few more fans.
It's always been easy to dismiss NFG as a band that although aren't quite as poppy and accessible as Canadians Simple Plan, or as juvenile as Blink 182, or comedic as Bowling For Soup, they fall into a middle of the road pop/punk banner, however slowly they have demanded the attention they deserve, and most notably opening for Green Day last year was of particular benefit.
Fist song on the album is 'Oxygen' which takes a couple of listens before you get into it, which is certainly not the case for either, the infectious sing-along of 'Familiar Landscapes', or 'Hold My Hand' with it's catchy piano tinkle and chugging guitars – the latter song derived from Chad Gilbert picking up an acoustic guitar and strumming out the song in a matter of minutes!
Elsewhere we have the gentle plod along that is, 'Make Your Move' which carries on with the relationship theme - something that Pundik makes no apologies about – the emotional burst of 'When I Die', which has everything that it should for a song full of feelings. There are strings, large chunky slow riffs and drum march beats all with anthem-esque vocals over the top. It's possibly their most thoughtful song yet. Another step away from previous ventures is 'Too Good To Be' which has acoustic strumming and hand claps. Now I may be a drummer (allegedly) but boy do I appreciate a good hand clap song!
'Boulders' is a nice slow but simple song, whereas 'Cold Play' is another mid tempo song with thumping drums and thick bass lines. Last song 'Golden' is a great humdinger of a track, right from the first words, "This could be the song, that everyone relates to // Another melody, something we go through // These could be the words to use in good fortune // To keep in your bank for your, for your back up plan".
It's one of those old clichés that "this band have matured", but if you listen to say, 'Catalyst' and then this you will notice how everything has been slowed down slightly. Even Jordan Pundik's signature nasal-vocals seem slightly watered down, which again makes them sound better. Some fans will not like the change just like Blink 182 when they released their less commercial self-titled album, but if you step away from comparisons, 'Coming Home' is a very good album, and dare I say it – their best yet!