New Found Glory
Catalyst
(Geffen)
Green Day have got a lot to answer for. By hiding their considerable songwriting ability behind sneering, half-heard vocals, faux-teen angst and three-chord riffs, they've opened the doors for bands such as New Found Glory who have none of the former and too much of the latter.
Now on their fourth album of whiney, bubblegum-punk songs about girls, NFG are five dead-eyed skaters who look far harder than they sound. Billed as equal parts hardcore, emo and rock, NFG are really just equal parts Blink 182, Sum 41 and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Which isn't to say that there's not a place for their particular brand of breezy, nursery rhyme rock. There is - on the soundtrack to an American Pie film.
Indeed, were you to hear the likes of prophetic single All Downhill From Here or This Disaster you'd drum your fingers on the dashboard and catch yourself humming the tune for the rest of the day.