Dryvetyme Onlyne

New Found Glory
Not Without A Fight
Epitaph; 2009

There’s something to be said for consistency. For every band that seeks to explore the edges of its sound on every single record they release, there’s another that is more than comfortable staying inside the small stylistic corral it’s created. There are plenty of reasons to engage in some experimentation, because no one wants to hear the same songs across three straight albums, but a group will always run the risk of alienating fans by not having a center to its sound. When an act remains within a highly defined set of boundaries, it’s true that critics and naysayers can quickly and negatively pigeonhole its sound, but when done properly, fans typically respond favorably to a familiar, unswerving musical formula.

Thus, there is a reason that a band like New Found Glory have consistently sold well and toured well over the course of its career – fans know exactly what to expect from NFG’s music and they remain loyal because of this. On Not Without A Fight, the band’s first record since signing with Epitaph, the recognizable elements of contemporary pop-punk are all present and in copious quantities. Big guitars dominate the mix, the lyrics are all about girls (whether about relationships or breakups), instantly catchy hooks that would make a fisherman jealous, and the clear tenor vocals (with harmonies!) that serve as the real calling card of this easily digestible version of punk.

This is the definition of Hot Topic Punk, and you can merely read through the song titles to learn exactly what’s going to come out of the speakers. Not Without A Fight starts off strong with “Right Where We Left Off,” “Don’t Let Her Put You Down,” and “Listen To Your Friends,” but by the time we get to the second half of the record, snoozers like “Reasons,” “Heartless At Best,” and “This Isn’t You” rule the day and make you want to reach for the skip button on your stereo. Moreover, rock production values are in play here (mixed in with occasional hardcore pretensions), but things just sound a too damn pretty and clean to be actual punk music.

It’s a wholly average record, filled with pop-punk fundamentals, but collected in a very typical manner. We’ve heard all of this before, but maybe this exactly what the fans of New Found Glory want from the band. Maybe I’m the one who doesn’t get it, but if so, I’m OK with that. Personally, I would prefer for the band to seek out a newer, fresher sound with its move to a new record label – dirty up the sound a bit, find something other than girls to pine over in the songs. Ultimately, if I were to hazard a hypothesis, the uniformity of style on Not Without A Fight probably won’t win the band any new admirers, but it will probably make the old ones quite happy.