New Found Glory - Catalyst

Catalyst doesn't quite graduate New Found Glory from the punk-pop rungs. From its main aesthetic thrust to the pristine mixing and production, this is a slick and durable Drive-Thru missive, micro-tweaked for maximum Warped Tour ROI. Still, the guys in Nfg have been at this a while, so a little exploration is not only understandable, it's expected. To that end, Catalyst's East Coast hardcore kickoff is welcome. Even if it's more of a genre exercise than an actual song, "Intro" illustrates the band's desire to grow within its influences, as do cuts like "All Downhill from Here," which suggests the literate tack of The Alkaline Trio, or "Truth of My Youth" and "Failure's Not Flattering," where the rousing melodic jaunt of The Get Up Kids seems to be the model. Read More