New Found Glory’s newest album Catalyst, is a CD that is trying to build on the band’s past success.
Two years ago, the quintet released their most successful album to date, the Gold-awarded (now with sales approaching Platinum) Sticks And Stones. That album was the follow-up to the band’s self-titled, major-label debut, which sold in excess of 500,000, generating their first Gold record.

But great bands are not solely evaluated on their impressive sales figures. Fortunately, and perhaps more importantly, New Found Glory understands this and has taken the initiative to continually improve. They practice the acquisition of success via a strong dedication to the material they’ve penned and a commitment to the enthusiastic audience that’s supported them throughout the years.

From their humble beginnings as a garage band in Coral Springs, Fla. back in 1997 to the international acclaim the act has received in recent years, New Found Glory has never lost sight of their original goal of delivering their absolute best, whether it be on stage or on recording.

In fact, most of the group’s recordings were produced by studio veteran Neal Avron (Everclear, The Wallflowers), a longtime associate of the band.

As their fourth album, Catalyst finds New Found Glory composing their classic flare of aggressive, melodic gems with Avron at the helm once again. However, Catalyst lives up to its moniker, with a number of elements falling outside of the New Found Glory norm.

According to an article on the band’s website, (http://www.newfoundglory.com), the band knows the title and the implicit ideas very well. "The word ‘catalyst’ means something that brings change," lead singer Jordan Pundik says. "Its meaning is something that’s new and different."

The band achieves their new style by experimenting with new guitar tones on Catalyst. The new guitar style is evident throughout the album and especially in the album’s first single "All Downhill From Here." The intro also provides a glimpse into their new style as it shows the energy and creativity of the band.

However, the band does not completely abandon the style that got them on the map. As the CD’s debut single, the hit song embraces the best of the old and brings in dynamic new elements. It is a song full of the band’s typical energy and urban punk alternative style, but there are some new sounds.

The music style is very unique and is created in an individual way as they adopt a more traditional rock style of instrument play, but the most noticeable characteristic throughout the album and on this track is the consistent vocals and lyrics of lead singer Pundik.

The chorus reads "Catalyst you insist to pull me down/You contradict the fact that you/still want me around/and it’s all downhill from here."

Another track, "Failure’s Not Flattering," emulates the songwriting and production of the 1980s. Complete with four-on-the-floor drum beats, courtesy of New Found Glory drummer Cyrus Bolooki, the track instantly jolts memories of some of rock’s most prestigious history.

According to the website, lead guitar man Steve Klein knows the historical significance of the band’s change in sound. "We recorded it all 1980s style," Klein says. "We recorded the drums in a small room, without the bottom drum heads, so they’d sound tighter. Guitar-wise, we used 1970s vintage guitars. Even the harmonies – they sound like they’re Cars harmonies – we really tried to get that 1980s feel. James [Dewees] from the band Reggie And The Full Effect, who also plays keyboards in The Get Up Kids, came in and played keyboards over it."

New Found Glory also implemented a new array of instrumentation. The ballad style track "I Don’t Wanna Know," has more than just rudimentary guitar, bass and drums of the quintet. The song is one of the band’s slowest and calmest songs and the lyrics help add to the calm and collected mood. The laid back chorus reads:
"First comes heavy breathing/Staring at the ceiling/What will happen next/I don’t wanna know."

"We had Beck’s dad write all the string arrangements to that song," Klein says. "Then we had a four-piece orchestra come and play this amazing ballad. And we also had this girl Kendall Payne sing back-ups, who was one of Neal’s friends."

But don’t dismiss the classic New Found Glory mainstays –the inspiring, memorable melodies and the vocals of the music type usually associated with Pundik are still present on this album.

"Jordan’s voice makes us sound like New Found Glory," Klein says. "It could be the craziest music in the world, but once Jordan starts putting his vocals over it, it’s our band. That’s what’s cool about our band – – we can evolve and change musically, but our fans I think will always be into us because of our lyrical content and the way Jordan sings."

One of the tracks with such direct lyrics is "Your Biggest Mistake."
"That one’s addressed to a close friend who is stuck in a relationship and they wouldn’t leave the person because they were scared of what the person would do," Pundik explains. "I’ve been in that situation as well, so it could also be someone talking to me too."

The finger-pointing lyrics recite: "Everyone’s told you over and over again/You’re making the biggest mistake of your life/everyone’s told you/everyone you left behind/You’re making the biggest mistake of your life."

And it’s these years of blatant, life experiences that have allowed New Found Glory to become more than merely attractive lyrical fodder — it’s the chance to grow together as a unit through their music, which they’ve shared with hundreds of thousands of listeners for seven years now.

So whether you’re looking for a little excitement, or a major change, or anything in-between, feel free to get your own "Catalyst" and help support a group of musically and sonically talented individuals.