It’s been nearly 20 years since New Found Glory were the new kids on the block, threatening Blink-182 for the top spot on MTV. With the band’s tenth album, Forever + Ever x Infinity, the self proclaimed “godfathers of pop-punk” pay homage to the early days, granting lifelong fans a sought-after return to the sound that started it all.

Forever + Ever x Infinity is a pop-punk jam fest. From the guitar-tuning, to the gang vocals, to the light-hearted song-names like “Double Chin for the Win,” there’s a nostalgia factor that’s reminiscent of burnt CDs and playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater with your best friends at the dawn of the new millenium. 

Despite the album’s dedication to lean on such established genre tropes, each of the fifteen tracks feel fresh and filled to the brim with unique song structures and polished guitar riffs. Vocalist Jordan Pundik is fiery, as always, mixing ballads and love-songs full of questions like “Why don’t you stay a while, or maybe for a lifetime?” with edgy yells on breakdowns like the banger, “Himalaya”, which raucously concludes with Pundik shouting, “Break those old chains locking you down!”

Although a preconceived love of pop-punk is basically a prerequisite for listeners of the new album, fans with even the smallest of sweet spots for the genre will have no choice but to bounce off the walls like it’s 2002 when the first track hits.

Best Track: “Himalaya”

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