New Found Glory / Radiosurgery / Epitaph
Florida quintet New Found Glory is back with Radiosurgery, their second album on Epitaph having teamed up with prolific studio-smith Neal Avron (Everclear, Linkin Park) yet again. Avron hadn’t been credited as producer on one of the band’s albums since 2004, but he was previously responsible for their big turn-of-the-millennium records New Found Glory and Sticks and Stones. While we’re talking about Avron and his production history, it sounds as though a chorus from one of his sessions with Fall Out Boy might have been mixed into the song “I’m Not the One” by mistake. Jokes aside, Radiosurgery is a return to those innocent days of catchy vocal hooks, shouted group backups and brightly crunching guitars – if, indeed, the group ever actually left that form.
Some very Social D-esque guitars make “Ready, Aim, Fire!” a great driving song for this Indian Summer while the sunny intonations of Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino shine through on the duet “Caught in the Act”. Those songs are probably the most notable on the group’s seventh disc and if you were to close your eyes and imagine what the rest of the album sounds like and you probably won’t be far off. Topically, Radiosurgery is a collection of songs detailing the progression of thoughts and emotions experienced by a typical sk8r boi following a nasty breakup. It’s not completely new lyrical territory for the group, or all that high of a concept, but it creates a satisfying arc upon each listen as we hear the typical sadness, anger and one night stands take place in logical succession. Think of it as a David Comes to Life but for the junior high set.
Download: “I’m Not The One”, “Ready, Aim, Fire!”
[Like the review above? Find more news updates and videos on Twitter]