New Found Glory Brings New Pop Punk to Your Playlist
by Ashlyn Siples | February 20th, 2026
Are you a fan of pop punk? Well you’re in luck, as New Found Glory has just released their latest album “Listen Up!.”
“Listen Up!” is a reflection of the band’s everchanging dynamics with each other over the past 30 years together. On top of this, it is a testament to resilience, especially that of guitarist Chad Gilbert who is in the midst of an ongoing battle with cancer. “We wanted to make something that really focused on how lucky we are,” Gilbert explains. “We’ve all gone through serious stuff in our lives, and I think the lyrics on this record are more meaningful and purposeful than ever. It’s a positive outlet that hopefully keeps people going.”
The album came to be through meet ups in Nashville to start writing, leaning into a rift first mentality as they fleshed out their trademark pop-punk sound with hints of punk and hardcore peeking in throughout. Album making didn’t come without challenges, though, as Gilbert was undergoing treatments during the process. “I was between cancer treatments making the record,” Gilbert explains. “I was pretty much dying again. I was going into the studio in the morning and sitting there with a 190, 200 blood pressure, going to the hospital, getting scans, going back to the studio, finishing a guitar track and then going home. I had some heart failure issues – all this fluid in my body and lungs – and we had to arrange the schedule so we could finish the album.”
“Despite everything Chad was going through, he would come in just ready to roll, and that set the tone for the record,” vocalist Jordan Pundik comments.
Gilbert describes the album as “nonstop riffs you can sing along to and air guitar with,” and I’d have to agree with him. From the getgo, it’s an ode to early 2000s rock that makes you want to blast it on the car radio with your windows down. The opening track “Boom Roasted” is instantaneously catchy with its repeating lyrics, and set the nostalgic tone of music for the rest of the album.
“A Love Song” was one of my favorites off the album, giving off teenage relationship vibes and the sort of sound that makes you think it should be on the soundtrack to a coming-of-age movie. And if you like your music a bit less pop and a bit more punk, you’re in luck, too. “100%” leans a little heavier on the guitars, and “Beer and Blood Stains” has a full breakdown that will make you want to mosh.
The track that stood out most to me was “Frankenstein’s Monster.” Now of course, it mainly stood out thanks to its title, as unlike the rest of the album’s song titles I couldn’t quite figure out what the song was going to be about or how it might sound (though I was definitely wrong for a few of the other songs on how they’d sound). This song is definitely the ‘punkest’ sounding of them all, really leaning back onto garage band days and bringing out the gritty. It’s got a different vibe than the rest of the album, and I think it’s a great closing piece.
Ready to lean into a pop-punk kind of spring and dive into this album? It’s out now on whichever streaming service you use, or you can head over to the band’s website and add it to your physical media collection! And if you’re the type of person to want to hear these songs live, they’ve got that for you too as New Found Glory will be heading out on tour with Yellowcard this summer - be sure to grab your tickets!
