New Found Glory - 'Makes Me Sick' (Album Review)

New Found Glory has hinted at maturity at times in their career. Both Catalyst and Coming Home showed signs of progression while maintaining what I've enjoyed about the band. At times there has also been some regression from progression. The last three New Found Glory albums searched for their footing at times and while I enjoyed them all to some degree, my favorite being Radiosurgery, it felt like the band was stuck a little in writing pretty good albums that could feel like they were for-fans-only type albums.

Makes Me Sick bucks the last couple albums trend and is not just a big rebound for New Found Glory, but to use a basketball analogy, also a buzzer beater shot in overtime and a trip to the finals. It's quite a stunningly well written and superbly executed album. This is easily the best NFG album in their last three or four and quite honestly might sit with me in the top 3 or 4 favorite albums this band has ever written. It's ten songs and it really is all killer, no filler for me. The production is a huge step up from Resurrection. Not just that, though, NFG pretty much improve on every aspect of their songwriting from that of the last album and find the balance of maturity with their sound that they have never accomplished before. Musically you hear elements of those earlier albums, mixed with some of the maturity of Coming Home, and added elements of brand new territory.

"The Sound Of Two Voices" is beachy sounding, sunny, alternative pop/punk that just feels like a fresh new energy that this band hasn't had in a while. All of these things mixed with Aaron Sprinkles' production seem to be the perfect pairing. The sound of the album comes out dynamic and has a graceful maturity to it. Jordan's vocals sound the best they have since possibly Sticks And Stones. Chad Gilbert really knocked it out of the park with his guitar work on this album, as well. This is some of his best lead guitar work in a long time. The album has nice amounts of synth layered into the songs throughout which adds a ton to the listening experience. I enjoy how the mixing allows for the bass guitar to really shine through and the drumming also sounds quite good on this album.

This album, for me as a long time NFG fan, is probably the most satisfying listen I've had with one of their albums since Sticks And Stones came out. This band really needed this album. It proves to me that while nostalgia is really important with legacy bands and people will always love the early NFG albums that, like Blink-182 did with California, writing a great album in the here and now is just as important. It not only offers a chance for new fans, but it gives long time fans who come back to the band over and over the gift of not only a great album, but an album that can compete as one of their best. I definitely recommend this one. It's not only a great album from NFG, but one of the better albums I've heard so far this year. Find it via iTunes and get physical copies here.