Album Reviews
On their first new album in six years, New Found Glory deliver more of what we’ve come to expect from the band that took the pop-punk scene by storm 25 years ago. Now in their mid-to-late 40s, they’re still cranking out the same bright, hook-driven anthems that first grabbed listeners when “My Friends Over You” came out. The good news? Listen Up! packs more energy than any of their recent releases.
Following the release of Forever + Ever x Infinity in 2020, guitarist Chad Gilbert was diagnosed with cancer. Six years later, he’s still battling the disease, but that didn’t stop him from writing and recording Listen Up! between rounds of chemotherapy and doctor visits.
The high-energy “100%” stacks riffs like there’s no tomorrow, and album highlight “Beer & Blood Stains” finds the band looking back on their early days in the local hardcore scene, complete with a “Florida!” singalong that is cheesy, but still works. “Medicine,” on the other hand, doesn’t add much of a spark to what is otherwise a riff-centered firecracker of an album that radiates positivity, resilience, and hope.
Listen Up! tracklist:
- Boom Roasted
- 100%
- Laugh It Off
- A Love Song
- Beer and Blood Stains
- Medicine
- Treat Yourself
- Dream Born Again
- You Got This
- Frankenstein's Monster
Lacking the talent to actually play in a band, Tom decided he would write about bands instead. Turns out his writing skills are mediocre at best as well.
