ALBUM REVIEW: ‘Makes Me Sick’ by New Found Glory

Florida quartet New Found Glory are already making their mark on 2017. Marking their 20th year as a unit, they are celebrating the 20 years of pop-punk in style; having already toured with A Day To Remember, they also have an abundance of tour dates across America and Europe still to come in the year. The end of April also sticks as an important milestone for the band, as it marks the release of their ninth full-length studio album Makes Me Sick. 

The ten tracks take the listener on an escapade, prepping for the summer ahead. There is a varied bag of tracks that both old and newer fans can take the time to enjoy, each that have been fine-tuned and continue the group’s domination over melodic pop-punk anthems in the modern era. Their veteran sound shines throughout, with lyrics that takes a happy-go-lucky flair and unifies a focus on the technology-obsessed generation and the belief of never growing old. They start off with Your Jokes Aren’t Funny, which incorporates a new experiment with synths that harmonises with the pleasing guitar riffs and upbeat drum fills that have been accustomed to over their active years. There are plenty of contrasting sounds from that from previous 2014 record Resurrection, which saw the four-piece take on a differing approach that involved unexpected transitions and a slightly heavier vibes. This album, instead, returns to a regular poppier outlook on themes of life and growing up, a rhythmic NFG resound that we’ve grown accustomed to.

 The lead singles from the record Party On Apocalypse and Happy Being Miserable are obvious leaders to exhibit their catchy and fun energies that NFG have, they demonstrate how much joy they have in writing and playing songs such as these. As a band, they never shy away from the accustomed sound that people have grown to love and admire over their active years, it may be somewhat monotonous for some bands, yet the Florida group are adamant at keeping up their established identity that suits their energy brilliantly.

 There was some expectation to believe that the entirety of the record would follow island vibes, yet only one track seems to follow these themes. The Sound Of Two Voices presents a collection of distinct sounds that completely personifies the visuals on the album cover. The tropical vibes that are created by the addition of a welcome xylophone work hand-in-hand with the isolated island cartoon. It is a refreshing sound from the group that really makes you want to be in the sunshine sipping cocktails, despite the melancholy vocals in the chorus.

 What follows in the rest of the album is what you would expect, involving catchy rhythms and varying tempos that are easy to listen to and enjoy to a certain level. It can indeed get a little repetitive towards the concluding tracks, with Say It Don’t Spray It and Barbed Wire seeing a return to the keys and synths to create a diversion of sounds particularly evident in the break downs and choruses.

 It’s true there is such an abundance of pop-punk tunes emerging nowadays that even the biggest fan would be overwhelmed by the selection. New Found Glory are definitely some of the frontrunners in the older subdivision of the genre, but they are also some of the most consistent with their sound from album to album. Some may find this album monotonous, but in places, there is plenty to get excited for NFG this year.

7/10

For fans of: All Time Low, Four Year Strong, Simple Plan
Words by Jess Boswell 

‘Makes Me Sick’ by New Found Glory is out now on Hopeless Records.