In the liner notes of
New Found Glory’s seventh album,
Radiosurgery, the band proclaims in big psychedelic letters that pop-punk's not dead. It seems like an innocuous, possibly ironic statement, but after the dominance of post-hardcore and emo, it feels more like a rallying cry. In a lot of ways, it feels like pop-punk is becoming a lost art, a rarefied ability to sugarcoat heartache rather than embellish it, and that’s exactly what
New Found Glory do on this album. Without falling back on breakdowns, half-time choruses, or screaming, the band delivers 11 tracks of upbeat pop-punk ruminations on unrequited love and heartbreak. It’s a simple formula, but it’s one that works well, especially with a band like
New Found Glory, who've had over a decade to refine their craft. With a running time just over 30 minutes,
Radiosurgery gets in and out quickly, breaking your heart and lifting you up with its singalong choruses and boundless energy and enthusiasm before leaving as quickly as it arrived. If summery and slick, no-frills pop-punk is what you crave, look no further. ~ Gregory Heaney