Review Summary: Catchy with a melodic twist, powerpop/pop-punk at its best
Since 'new found glory' ,new found glory have had to evolve because it has been 'all downhill' from there (haha)- as you can see from the average rating for each subsequent album - but i was pleasantly surprised by this album.
The singer has, in the past, been criticised for his'whiny' voice so he has changed his singing style which is much for the better, and your friends can't say 'oh, I don't like them because the singer has an annoying whingy voice'.
The band has also changed its style from punk to powerpop/pop-punk. On this album, piano melodies have been used a lot more to good effect supported by the usual guitar chord progressions. The lyrics are yet again about love life and family, (extremely catchy lyrics so if your friend likes new found glory and can't sing, cover your ears) hence the name of the album 'Coming Home'.
Most of the tracks are strong with the piano playing the melodies in the verse with a power guitar riff in the chorus. The opening track 'Oxygen' sets the trend for the rest of the album, which is a lot more melodic than past albums and keeps you interested. It is undoubtedlyeasy listening and the catchy choruses will get you singing them in the shower, yet there are some songs such as ' Familiar Landscapes' and ' Taken Back By You' which aren't as strong as the other songs but it is living up to a high standard.
My favourite songs are always changing which shows that the more you listen the deeper you get in to it but, at the moment, the appealing songs are 'Connected', ' On my mind', 'Coming home' and 'Love and pain'. There's an epic on this album as well, 'Boulders', which is impressive in its use of violins, female vocalists and electric organs. It starts with a slow tempo and builds up to an expolsive bridge with a guitar solo most music fans should appreciate. In this song, the chorus lyrics are 'I never said that I didn't need you, put down your arms and wrap them both right around me' really sums up the album and the theme of returning home. One of the songs on the album, 'Golden', stays true to their roots of punk and reminds me of the classic first album which thrust them on to the punk scene.
So, to sum up, I have fallen in love with this album, constantly listening to it and, if you love bands such as ' All american rejects', ' Fall out boy' etc, I heaviliy recommend it. Also, old fans will not be disappointed, it's their best yet!!
