New Found Glory - Catalyst

Once again, we're playing off emotion / Which one of us will burn until the end?

Nov 01, 2023

This post was originally published on October 31, 2023.

Happy Halloween to all! Here's another creepy album for the occasion.

Release Date: May 18, 2004
Genre: Pop-punk, alternative rock, post-hardcore
Label: Drive-Thru Records/Geffen Records
Producer(s): Neal Avron

Just as I discovered New Found Glory's Sticks and Stones from overhearing my sister play it, once she moved on to Catalyst, I asked her to burn a copy of that for me too. I played it so much that the tracks began skipping.

Catalyst has a harder (and often faster), more hardcore-influenced sound for the band. To this day, it's one of their heaviest albums. The songs are mostly about doomed relationships, dressed in apocalyptic metaphors, with a sprinkling of social commentary here and there. Jordan Pundik's vocals were at their absolute most piercing here, yet the songs are at their most catchy and hooky. As a body of work, I think it's very cohesive, with a clear concept and generally consistent quality.

Track by Track

Intro: This one-minute opener has the entire band screaming together and Jordan wailing above it. You can't make out any of the words, but it certainly makes an impression.

All Downhill From Here: One of the stronger and better known songs, which they pretty much always play at live shows. It's hard to describe other than to say it's a tight, mid-tempo banger that sets up the album really well.

This Disaster: One of the most incessant ear worms in their entire catalog, and it's not even from a fast poppy song. After listening to it again, I'm pretty sure the vocal track skips in the very first lyric, when he sings the word "aware," so oops. Anyway, what kind of crack is in this song? I swear this hook will be in my head for the next week.

Truth of My Youth: A song that alternates between blistering fast verses and slower choruses, with strong lyrics. (I'm not going to get into their then-rhythm guitarist, Steve Klein, except to say that he also wrote most of their lyrics and did a fine job.) Jordan is singing harmonies underneath himself, an effect that happens a lot on this album, and it's probably for the best or else he would sound like he's on helium.

I Don't Wanna Know: A sweet, romantic storytelling ballad, which Jordan doesn't have the voice for, but it's helped by guest singer Kendall Payne and some strings. It swells nicely, but may not stand out among all the other face-melting tracks here. Definitely the song that most foreshadows their next album.

Your Biggest Mistake: A good but often forgotten deep cut. These pre-choruses, y'all, they just rock, though the verses don't reach that same level of inspiration. Fun fact: this contains one of the few swear words in their whole catalog, and a mild one at that.

Doubt Full: Another slow-ish but very heavy song. It contains an actual choir, perhaps a nod to the lyric "Sounds like I'm preaching the choir." So far we're 7/7 for songs that have a great screamable moment.

Failure's Not Flattering: We're back to bops. The lyrics here are great, and whatever the guitar is doing on the bridge is transcendent. (I have a very special story about this song, but that will have to wait until several albums later...)

Over the Head, Below the Knees: Once again, a slower song with some fine lyrics, though the melody is a bit boring.

Ending in Tragedy: This one goes a little softer in the verses, though the stripped-back instrumentation doesn't do Jordan's voice any favors. The chorus has a bit of a Box Car Racer feel to it. I like it, but I try to think about these song through the eyes of a non-stan, and I'd imagine many would find this to be one of the weakest entries on the album.

At Least I'm Known for Something: If the album has a climax, it's this. Jordan shows off his impressive high chest notes while the band crunches relentlessly behind him. At around 2:18, the song just goes completely silent for a half-second. As a kid, I thought it was two separate tracks, like a part one and two, but no -- the full band comes roaring back to bring it home, then Jordan does the very last line a capella. It's interesting, it hits hard, and I don't think they ever used that exact trick again before or since.

I'd Kill to Fall Asleep: A perfectly good song, but not mind-blowing, especially with how many other upbeat-ish songs came before. Notable lyric: "Conversations cross my mind, but nothing of the speaking kind." Sexy, perhaps, but also quite tortured.

Now News Is Good News: If this album's art is supposed to represent any specific song, it has to be this one. I find it just so essential to the record's themes and mood. It captures a different kind of frustration than they usually commented on at this point in their career, and the hook is solid as well.

Who Am I: The closer, and only track with a bit of piano. Like many songs on the back half, the lyrics are good and intriguing, but the melody is comparatively less so. They usually have excellent final tracks, and while I don't think this one quite reaches that category, I still like it.

Radio Adelaide: A good mid-tempo, crunching bonus song that feels right in line with the album, but I think it lacks the catchiness of most of the main tracklist. Perhaps it needs more time to grow on me.

Constant Static: This one was included as an extra on their 2008 greatest hits compilation. It doesn't have the signature sound of Catalyst, which makes me think it was written a bit earlier. It's a short, fast, straightforward New Found Glory song, but the kind that evaporates as soon as it's over. There's nothing bad about it, but it doesn't wow me in any way. (Update: The band have opened up about the lore behind this song, and it's actually quite funny. When cutting the final tracklist, it came down to either this or "I'd Kill to Fall Asleep." Bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Cyrus Bolooki wanted this one, while Jordan and guitarist Chad Gilbert wanted "I'd Kill to Fall Asleep." Sorry, guys; while Cyrus might be my favorite member of the band, I gotta side with Jordan and

Whiskey Rose: A more acoustic guitar-driven track, but with some unmistakably Catalyst lyrics ("I sit and watch the clock on the wall / As it counts down the end of my life"). Because it never goes that high, the singing ends up a bit flat, but it is a pleasant listen, especially the bridge.

Final Thoughts

I know this album in and out (bonus tracks not withstanding), yet re-visiting it, I still found myself impressed. The songwriting here was some of their best. It's quite something to think this was less than two years after Sticks and Stones. It's so different, yet just as good. Its main flaw would probably be that it's a track or two too long. Even after their commercial peak, they proved they were still going strong, and would continue to do so.