Customer Reviews

Not Without A Fight

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

More than a hot second has passed since New Found Glory released their two most popular albums in terms of sales, 2002's dynamic "Sticks and Stones" and 2004's equally impressive effort "Catalyst." Prior to that, the band had already established itself on the scene with hits such as "Hit or Miss." But after 2004, the band took a different, more creative path. The 2006 album "Coming Home" was a melodic, atmospheric, and engaging affair, but some of NFG's long time fans were not pleased with the longer, slower songs that were prevalent on the album. As a result, it produced weaker sales. The band released a covers album in 2007, which was okay, and then an EP "Tip of the Iceberg," which was ambitious, but did not sound like anything the band had done before.

Now that the band members are approaching 30 (as most of their fan base now is as well), a change was in order. And what a change it is. Returning to their pop-punk roots, NFG comes up with a great set of songs that sound as if they could have been recorded sometime between their 2002 and 2004 albums that were big hits. The first single "Listen to Your Friends" is their catchiest song in years, if not ever. Other songs rock with the same confidence and melody, such as "47" and "Don't Let Her Pull You Down." Also, "Tangled" is a great track that is classic NFG and yet sounds unlike all their other tracks. Out of twelve songs, only one song lacks a killer hook. Eleven out of twelve tracks are excellent.

No hit or miss here. This album hits the mark, resonating with a newfound vigor, a newfound purpose, and newfound energy. And the songs stick in your head for DAYS after you hear them. If you are looking for an album that not only will restore your faith in pop-punk, but melodic rock in general, pick this up. And play it loud - it will make your day.

10 years after "Hit or Miss," New Found Glory has been mostly hit, but has lately been amiss. Enter a return to form album that does just that, and returns the band to an Old Found Glory. Musically, the album mostly takes its cues from its classic "Catalyst," and "Sticks and Stones" albums with a little hint from "Coming Home," and the same could be said for the album's familiar lyrics. Highlights include the insanely catchy and worthy addition to their best of, "Listen to Your Friends," "47," "Tangled Up," "Reasons," "Such A Mess," "Heartless At Best," "This Isn't You"...

To avoid listing most, if not all the tracks from the album, let me say it's all classic NFG, it's consistent, it's catchy, it carries all the classic themes of summer, break-ups and high school drama. In fact, you could say that this is another example of the 'NFG sound,' where the music never slows, because the band never wants you to turn down the volume. Every time I hear this album, I seem to find more of a place for it in their catalog, and come to enjoy the album that much more. So overall, NFG fans and pop punk fans are going to be all over it, and it'll certainly find a place in my stereo for the foreseeable future. So listen to your friends and buy this album!

And I can't help but think that the opening and closing song titles are statements by the band... just a guess there.

The reviews of this album I have seem tend to be of the "it effing rules" or "it effing sucks" varierty. Like most things in life, the truth is right in the middle.

I grew up listening to NFG in high school and college and have eagerly awaited this album. Although I grew to like their last album artistically, I was hoping for them to return to their roots and was expecting a cornucopia of old-school power hits on this album. Alas, like attending a high school reunion or visiting your old fraternity, this album is proof that while you can go back to visit the haunts of your youth, it is never quite the same.

I gave this album 3 stars because while this album is better than scores of the manufactured and easily forgotten emo, pop-punk these days, I think this album is by far NFG's weakest album. While none of the songs on this album are per se bad, there is not much that is really good or memorable either. That is not to say say the album is not worth listening to. Don't get me wrong, its a decent album, with a few potential hit singles, but on a whole its just not up to the caliber of their previous efforts.

My biggest complaint is the almost complete absence of catchy guitar hooks. While the album is reminiscent of what was, it never quite achieves the energy and power of their previous efforts. Many songs just seem bland. There are not many songs that made me immediately start singing along. Also, I am one of the few who actually liked the distinctly nasally vocals on the previous albums. I also don't like the overuse of gang screams. At points, this CD sounds like an old Fall Out Boy album.

If you like NFG, I would still recommend this album, but don't expect a CD crammed with "My Friends Over You" or Catalyst-type hits.

I was extremely impressed with Not Without A Fight. I was relieved NFG returned to their old roots, although I did like Coming Home, Id much rather them sound like this. I was skeptical after listening to their last record, but took a chance and picked this album up. AMAZING. There were a couple tracks that were sort of dull, but hey, what album doesnt have songs like that? Overall, I think this album was well worth buying, no regrets. Listen to Dont let her pull down and Ill never love again.

This album is one of NFG's best. My personal favorite is still their self titled pop punk classic, but this is not far behind. This feels a lot like Sticks and Stones, and that is a good thing. I used to love this band, but after Catalyst, I started losing interest in NFG (not that Catalyst was a bad record, but it didn't hold up as well as their previous releases). After listening to a friend's copy of Coming Home, I was pretty disappointed - I didn't like the new direction the band was heading in.
Scrap all that - with Not Without A Fight, NFG is back to their old ways, putting out pop punk anthems like "Right Where We Left Off" and "Listen to Your Friends."
I also have give it up for my man Mark Hoppus, who was the producer of this record. He did a great job.

Overall, this is a return to form for NFG, and this is an album I will be rockin' all summer.

I just bought the album last night at Wal-Mart in Lincoln, Nebraska. I was holding off listening to the streamed version on NFG's Myspace because I wanted the experience of hearing the first track blare through my speakers on the road.

This CD delivers. It is New Found Glory true to form. It fits conceptually between "Sticks and Stones" and "Catalyst". I personally loved "Coming Home," and wouldn't have minded if that was the direction New Found Glory decided to turn for good. I liked to think of them "aging gracefully". 'Boulders' is one of my all-time favorite tracks, and that CD will always be a milestone in my eyes.

What I think when I hear "Not Without a Fight" is what a great array of albums this band is going to have accrued by the time they retire. They've all got their own stamps of individuality, and what "NWAF" offers is a conceptual set of songs that all intertwine with one another in a 36-minute web of pop-punk.

1) Right Where We Left Off - 10/10. So far my favorite song on this CD. The first 5 seconds offer a hook that will be stuck in your head for days. It's a bit darker, but the perfect way to start an album.

2) Don't Let Her Pull You Down 9/10 - This song seems to epitomize what it feels like to be driving down the highway in the middle of summer, at its hottest and most sluggish, with the windows down and the air breezing in.

3) Listen To Your Friends - 9/10. This song is the first single, and probably has the most diverse set of lyrics on the album. Reminiscent of "Hit or Miss" and "My Friends Over You." This is a song you'd lose your voice singing at a concert.

4) 47 - 8/10. Reminds me of "It's Been a Summer". I love gang vocals, but they're a bit weak on the chorus, as the band shouts, "I called 46 times!" and Jordan Pundik responds, "and you answered on the 47th." The pre-chorus is the best part of this song by far.

5) Truck Stop Blues - 10/10. It's so catchy and fast you won't know what to do with yourself the first time you hear it. This is a late-night interstate drive kind of song, that will evoke emotion in anyone who knows what it's like to miss someone who's gone away. One of the most heartfelt songs on the CD.

6) Tangled Up - 8/10. The chorus of this song is layered with vocals from Hayley Williams of Paramore. The two voices mesh seamlessly, and the chorus is insanely catchy. "Oh...I....should have never laid eyes on you."

7) I'll Never Love Again - 7/10. This starts out sounding like you're spinning on a carousel, and then the drums jump in. It's the kind of song that everyone jumps in time to at concerts...you know the ones. There's not much range in guitar on this one, it doesn't distinguish itself as well as other tracks.

8) Reasons - 9/10. This is a happier, more-upbeat version of "I Don't Wanna Know." Not lyrically, but in sound. I love the guitar in the first seconds of the song. This is that point in every CD where the craze has worn off, and the band's cooling off and easing up. When you listen to the album straight through, this song serves its purpose best.

9)Such A Mess - 7/10. I need to get used to this one. This feels like it could have come straight of the "Tip of the Iceberg" EP. I did like those songs, but like I've said, I appreciate most the diversity of the guitar and drums in music, and this one sticks to a base note for most of the song. It's a song to listen to with a crowd of friends...driving to a party, perhaps.

10) Heartless At Best - 8/10. The intro to this song sounds just like "Emma" from Alkaline Trio. Same drums, same lingering notes. It's the longest song on the CD, and is also a lyrically moving number. "The crowd silent as a whisper...listen as she recites her sins."

11)This Isn't You - 9/10. This is end-of-the-album territory. The music comes thrashing in, then moves to only one speaker, then jumps to the other, then back. It's almost sad, listening and knowing that there's only one song left. Oh well, that's what the next album's for.

12). Don't Let This Be The End - 10/10. I think there's a number of ways to successfully end a CD. It can be an epic, symphonic ballad -- like "Boulders," which employed a beautiful chorus from the singers of Eisley at the end and drifted into silence -- or you can leave swinging. DLTBTE goes for the latter. It is short, gut-punchingly catchy, and closes with the celebratory gang vocals that really shine in this CD. By the time it's over, you wonder where your 36 minutes went. My solution has been to start back over from song number one and enjoy the experience again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

This is definitely more of a conceptual album than one whose songs identify individually, like "Coming Home." But it's a breath of fresh air that proves this band is true their roots, and it is the perfect way to herald the warm spring weather just around the corner.

Go buy it NOW!

NFG is one of my favorite bands of all time. They were the first concert I ever saw and I was immediately hooked. All of their albums, no matter how good or bad, have at least a few songs that anybody can get hooked on. Nothing Gold Can Stay displayed a fun pop-punk band on the rise and included several catchy songs. Their self-titled, which was actually the first of their albums I bought, is a personal favorite and does not contain a song I would skip over. Sticks and Stones, my second-favorite, is full of energy right from the start. I was not the biggest fan of Catalyst, although "Truth of My Youth" is a killer song. Then, on Coming Home, I thought they really took a step back. The songs, along with several of the ones on Catalyst, just didn't have the energy and recklessness of most NFG tunes. It almost seemed like they were trying to shift into a more emo style. I thought the two "cover" albums were really good and fun to listen to. The EP they recently released wasn't too bad either.

Now, with Not Without a Fight, NFG are back to their old ways. This album reminds me a lot of Sticks and Stones, with the catchy hooks and energetic rythm. Every song on here, from 1-12, is excellent. "Truck Stop Blues" is the best in my opinion. Other highlights include "Right Where We Left Off," "Listen to Your Friends," "47, "Tangled Up," and "Don't Let This Be the End." There really isn't a "bad" or boring song on this whole album.

I think NFG just wanted to get back to basics on this record. Having Mark Hoppus produce the album was a great move as well. This definitely sounds like something the band would have put out in the 1999-2002 era. If that period of time was your favorite of NFG, then this album is for you. If you were more into their more recent stuff, then you may not like it as much but will still find some great tracks. The $7.99 price isn't bad either!

Yes, it's really a good comeback, very similar to 2000's "New Found Glory". I read a negative review in Kerrang! Magazine about the album which said that "NFG are not saying anything new". Yeah? So What? Who says that they're trying to?

Trust me folks, the critics aren't always right. NFG have never been anything other than a pop-punk outfit, and a brilliant one at that. "Coming Home" was an attempt at something different, it wasn't overtly successful and now they're back doing what they do best.

This is an immensely satisfying pop-punk record and a nod to NFG's roots. Nearly every track is a blinder; the songs are ridiculously catchy and very energetic. This is the real New Found Glory. Welcome Back!

With 2006's fan-disappointing Coming Home, Florida pop-punk upstarts New Found Glory made the assumption that "mature" music automatically meant slow and weepy.

Fast forward to 2009's Not Without a Fight and its lead single "Listen to Your Friends," and it's an obvious, pleasant return to NFG's style of summery melodies over buzz-saw guitars -- perhaps the band's catchiest in years. What's more, the band has rekindled their hardcore influence from guitarist Chad Gilbert, an ex-member of genre legends Shai Hulud, a trend last seen on 2004's Catalyst and sadly dropped on Coming Home. Drummer Cyrus Bolooki throws in some neat time changes and occasional double bass drums, and Gilbert provides shouts to accent Jordan Pundik's melodic pop-punk vocals, which have thankfully decreased in nasality over time.

Blink 182's Mark Hoppus produces this time around, and his hand is heard in songs like "Truck Stop Blues," while Gilbert's is apparent in the chunky angular riffs of "47." The breakdown in "Heartless at Rest" is epic like "Iris" meets the soundtrack to Titanic, and the one in "I'll Never Love Again" will inspire furious headbanging. Two diverse breakdowns...BREAKDOWNS...by a supposed "pop-punk" band on the same album. And needless to say, "Don't Let Her Pull You Down," and "Don't Let This Be the End," manage to be instructive and breakneck in their pace.

On their newest release, New Found Glory has gone from potentially interesting lyrical territory to twelve straight songs about breakups, but at least they're fiercely up-tempo and effortlessly catchy. The absence of weepiness, replaced by newfound (ha-ha!) energy forgives the one-dimensional topics, which are inventively-written despite the triteness.

It's great when bands apologize.

Okay, I have to admit that I never took the time to listen to New Found Glory's last two records (Catalyst & Coming Home). I've heard both good and bad things about each, but was too caught up in my 2004-2007 "heavy or die" phase to check them out. So when I heard last spring that NFG was releasing a new album, I found myself curious. Luckily, a friend provided me with a free download code and voilà, I found the best album of 2009. Many might disagree, but with the help us Mark Hoppus (Blink 182) on the production side of things, I think these guys really outdid themselves this time. You can hear it not only in the album's sound, but the songwriting as well.

The experience begins with "Right Where We Left Off," an explosively fun and driving song that re-introduces the band perfectly. Though the song is probably about a relationship issue, you can't help but hear "I just wanna pick back up right where we left off" and think, "they're back to re-claim their place in the pop-punk fold" (which has been hijacked by bands like All Time Low that are, in my opinion, miles away from being pop-punk).

Before you even have a chance to reflect on the first track, the band kicks in with "Don't Let Her Down," a song full of anthemic gang vocals, catchy guitar melodies, and lyrics very reminiscent of classic NFG. This is followed by the album's first single "Listen To Your Friends," another fun song with incredible vocal harmonies, great lyrics, and an awesome drum and bass breakdown.

The next track, "47" is good, but "Truck Stop Blues" takes the cake as the album's best song. At two minutes and fourteen seconds, it's a short, to-the-point track with lyrics that anyone who travels can take great meaning from. The chorus is insanely catchy, both musically and lyrically, with lead singer Jordan Pundik proclaiming "I'll never let this go, we're kept together through highways and telephone lines" over a punchy set of start-stop power chords. This contrasts very well with the rest of the song's double-time pop-punk feel that is anchored by an addicting guitar hook.

The guys keep the hits coming with "Tangled Up", a stand-out track smothered in marvelous vocal melodies, "Such A Mess," an equally catchy tune that features a few chugga-chugga guitar riffs very reminiscent of modern metal and hardcore (a first for NFG), and "I'll Never Love Again," a delightfully classic-sounding New Found Glory song with an equally enjoyable twist: shouting.

Not Without A Fight sounds like the band you've known and loved for years, but better. Jordan's vocals are stronger than ever, as he's lost the whiny tone that bothered a lot of people (though it never bothered me). In addition, the band has shown that they can draw from all of their musical influences (metal, punk, hardcore, etc.) yet still hold true to their traditional sound and avoid alienating their pop-punk fan-base that may not be into such aggressive styles. In all, the guys in New Found Glory have matured as songwriters and musicians, but haven't forgotten how to write fun, youthful songs full of energy and deliciously catchy hooks. Not Without A Fight is, without a doubt in my mind, the most exciting, memorable, and pleasing album of 2009.