Tomorrow, New Found Glory (NFG) releases their first album since 2015’s Resurrection: Ascension, which they have been touring successfully – and widely – in support of for quite some time. Makes Me Sick takes their establish – and ecstatic – audience through quite the thrill ride, with uptempo, energetic pop-punk tracks that will keep you singing throughout the day. And that’s what we have come to know and love about their sound. They drive us through new material with the same nostalgic, early 2000s sound that they actually created. The same sound that has inspired a generation of new artists and given rise to those who keep Warped Tour relevant and fun.
From the very first notes of “Your Jokes Aren’t Funny” to the last lines of “The Cheapest Thrills”, you are enveloped in that quintessential pop-punk sound that NFG has been delivering in droves since 1997. You can literally feel their growth as a band in the lyrics, as they address people who have turned out to be “snakes” and let them know that they aren’t buying that shit anymore (“Your jokes aren’t funny anymore to me / I’m not the same fool that I used to be”). And while “Party On Apocalypse” touches on the elephant in the room that we have all been harping on for quite a while – Is the world ending or not, guys? – “Call Me Anti-Social” addresses what seems to be everyone’s growing fear of social situations (“You see I like it so much better when I’m safe inside / Even though I know my reputation’s on the line… I don’t relate to anyone”), something that clearly does not evade even celebrities, apparently.
“Happy Being Miserable” is where it’s at. Our favorite from Makes Me Sick, it hits hard from the beginning and has more of a rock flare to it than its predecessors, courtesy of the guitar parts. With lyrics like “I don’t wanna know you / Or someone who’s so focused on themselves / I’ll save my best for someone else,” it’s obvious to note that this is one of those “this is my truth” tracks. We’re down with anyone who wants to be upfront about confronting the negative people in their lives, and we’re definitely all for an anthem that we can sing at people who start to drag us down. (Hint hint, keep this in your back pocket for those situations.) “The Sound Of Two Voices” brings more of an island vibe to the album – a sound we’re not too familiar with when it comes to NFG – and they pull it off flawlessly. And while “Blurred Vision” begins like an old Kylie Minogue remix (Sorry, guys), NFG is vindicated as soon as the guitar sets in. (Almost immediately.)
As juvenile as the title “Say It Don’t Spray It” may seem at first glance, the track itself is catchy and fun, so it also ends up redeeming itself. “Barbed Wire” plays with dissonance at the beginning, and then they hook us with the line “everything’s replaceable”. NFG is here to remind you that you are barbed wire in a sense, which insinuates strength in its own sense. Another anthem for the books.
“Short and Sweet” has a title that is slightly misleading – the song is an appropriate length at 3:30 – but the sentiment of the track is hilariously relatable as well. Essentially, it’s a very straightforward “thank you” to a significant other for “giving [them] as much as [they] do.” Imagine it as a Wayne’s World “we’re not worthy” moment. Although it does leave the mind pondering whether it’s a breakup speech or just an admission of their place in the relationship, but that’s neither here nor there. They round it all out with tenth track “The Cheapest Thrill”, which brings less of a pop-punk ballad vibe to the table than its predecessor, with its quick, staccato notes. Delve deep into the teenage past of NFG – Though if it’s based in reality, we may never know. – as the guys admit to being “The Cheapest Thrill” in what appears to be an interesting sex life.
You’re not cheap to us, guys.
Makes Me Sick is out April 28th via Hopeless Records. It is available for preorder now.
