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Forever + Ever x Infinity

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Forever + Ever x Infinity
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 19, 2020
Recorded2019–2020
StudioCastle Recording Studio, Nashville, Tennessee
GenrePop-punk[1]
LabelHopeless[1]
ProducerSteve Evetts
New Found Glory chronology
Makes Me Sick
(2017)
Forever + Ever x Infinity
(2020)
December's Here
(2021)
Singles from Forever + Ever x Infinity
  1. "Greatest of All Time"
    Released: February 10, 2020[2]
  2. "Stay Awhile"
    Released: July 2, 2020[3]
  3. "Scarier Than Jason Voorhees at a Campfire"
    Released: October 14, 2020[4]
  4. "The Last Red-Eye"
    Released: June 18, 2021[5]
  5. "Backseat"
    Released: July 29, 2021[6]

Forever + Ever x Infinity is the tenth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory, released on June 19, 2020 via Hopeless Records and a deluxe version on September 3, 2021.

Background and recording

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The band began work on a new studio album after completing From the Screen to Your Stereo 3 (2019), the band's long-running series of compilation albums where the band records unlikely pop punk cover versions of songs from popular films, such as "Let It Go" from Frozen.[7][8] The band chose to work with a new music producer than in the past - Steve Evetts - the band had pursued him, appreciating the sound he had created with contemporary punk bands.[9] The band had desired to work with him in the past, but had not had the chance, having been signed to a major record label so early in their career, with Evetts being more of a producer for developing bands.[9]

Guitarist Chad Gilbert expressed difficulty in picking the album's track tracklist; they were certain on which tracks should make the final cut, but uncertain on order.[10]

On July 29, 2021 Gilbert announced a deluxe version of the album, now called "Forever and Ever x Infinity...And Beyond!!!" features 6 new songs and will be released September 3. "The Last Red-Eye", "The Devil Has Many Faces", and "New Abnormal" were all written during the downtime of the pandemic. "Ferris Wheel" and "Backseat" which were ideas that were never completed from the original album sessions and a rework of “Puzzles”.[11]

Themes and composition

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Gilbert described the album as "for the fans", noting that it sounded like the material from early in the band's career.[8] Music publication Wall of Sound echoed the sentiment, noting that the album retained the band's earlier themes; pop punk about their feelings on romance and girls.[12] However, the publication also noted a hard edge, and heavier guitar sound than most of their prior work, especially in tracks such as "Shook by Your Shaved Head".[1] The track "Himalaya" was described as having influences of pop punk and hardcore punk.[13]

Release and promotion

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The album's release was initially announced in February 2020 as being scheduled for May 29, 2020, at the same time of releasing its first single, "Greatest of All Time".[10] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in April, the band delayed the album to June 19, 2020, Record Store Day, hoping that health concerns would be better by that point.[1] A number of other promotional songs were released ahead of the album's release as well, including "Himalaya"[13] and "Shook by Your Shaved Head".[9]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[14]
Chrous.fmfavorable[15]
Exclaim!8/10[16]
Kerrang![17]
Ox-Fanzinefavorable[18]

Wall of Sound gave the album a generally positive review, stating that "New Found Glory do pop punk songs about longing, lust, and love like no other", though conceded that they did little to convince listeners who did like the band prior to the release.[1] Kerrang similarly praised it for being a welcome sense of familiarity in uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic, and stated it was their best album in at least a decade.[17]

Track list

[edit]
No.TitleLength
1."Shook by Your Shaved Head"2:44
2."Greatest of All Time"2:58
3."Double Chin for the Win"2:39
4."Nothing to Say"2:02
5."Stay Awhile"3:25
6."Himalaya"3:02
7."Same Side Sitters"3:15
8."Like I Never Existed"3:18
9."More and More"4:11
10."Do You Want to Settle Down?"2:41
11."The Way You Deserve"3:50
12."Trophy"2:55
13."Scarier Than Jason Voorhees at a Campfire"2:58
14."Birthday Song but Not Really"2:59
15."Slipping Away"5:15
Total length:47:57
Deluxe edition
No.TitleLength
16."Backseat"3:34
17."The Devil Has Many Faces"2:34
18."The Last Red-Eye"3:33
19."Ferris Wheel"2:53
20."Puzzles"3:18
21."The New Abnormal"3:35
Total length:66:27

Personnel

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New Found Glory

Charts

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Chart (2020) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[19] 135
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[20] 4
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[21] 17

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "NEWS: New Found Glory delay release of 'Forever + Ever x Infinity'!". 17 April 2020. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  2. ^ "New Found Glory - Greatest Of All Time (Official Music Video)". YouTube. Hopeless Records. February 10, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  3. ^ "New Found Glory - Stay Awhile (Official Music Video)". YouTube. Hopeless Records. July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  4. ^ "New Found Glory - Scarier Than Jason Voorhees At A Campfire (Official Music Video)". YouTube. Hopeless Records. October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  5. ^ "New Found Glory - The Last Red-Eye (Official Music Video)". YouTube. Hopeless Records. June 18, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  6. ^ "New Found Glory - Backseat (Lyric Video)". YouTube. Hopeless Records. July 29, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  7. ^ "New Found Glory's Jordan Pundik On New Album 'Forever + Ever x Infinity' - Video Call - Videos". Rock Sound Magazine.
  8. ^ a b "New Found Glory Announce New Album, Forever + Ever x Infinity". Kerrang!.
  9. ^ a b c "New Found Glory Discuss New Album, Premiere Single". Spin. April 7, 2020.
  10. ^ a b Greenwood, Koltan (February 10, 2020). "New Found Glory detail 'Forever + Ever x Infinity' with upbeat new single". Alternative Press.
  11. ^ Gilbert, Chad (29 July 2021). "Forever And Ever x Infinity...And Beyond!!!". newfoundglory.com.
  12. ^ "New Found Glory – Forever + Ever x Infinity (Album Review)". Wall Of Sound. June 15, 2020.
  13. ^ a b "New Found Glory Releases Heavy-Hitting Single "Himalaya"". Music Mayhem Magazine. May 11, 2020.
  14. ^ Yeung, Neil Z (June 19, 2020). "Forever and Ever X Infinity - New Found Glory". Allmusic. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  15. ^ Bodner, Brett (June 19, 2020). "Review: New Found Glory – Forever + Ever x Infinity". Chorus.fm. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  16. ^ Zhu, Eva (June 16, 2020). "New Found Glory's Sound Never Changes, and 'Forever + Ever × Infinity' Is Them at Their Cheesy Best". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  17. ^ a b Hickie, James (June 19, 2020). "Floridian pop-punk veterans New Found Glory prove they're still in the ascent with Forever And Ever x Infinity". Kerrang!. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  18. ^ Jung, Carsten. "New Found Glory - Forever And Ever x Infinity". Ox-Fanzine. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  19. ^ "New Found Glory - Chart history - Billboard 200". Billboard (Prometheus Global Media). Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  20. ^ "New Found Glory Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  21. ^ "New Found Glory Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2020.