Coming Home (New Found Glory album)
Encyclopedia
Coming Home is the fifth studio album
by American rock
band New Found Glory
. It was produced
by Thom Panunzio
and released on September 19, 2006 through Geffen Records
. Written and demoed at the Morning View Mansion in Malibu during 2005, Coming Home is a concept album
unified by a lyrical theme of being away from home and loved ones. The album marks a departure from the band's earlier work, implementing piano
, keyboard
, and string
instrumentation more comparable to classic rock
than their usual pop punk
sound.
Coming Home was a critical success for the band, garnering praise from many music critics. The album was particularly noted for its matured style, while the songs were considered the most "mellow" of the bands career. Despite the release of only one single, "It's Not Your Fault
", the album was still a relative commercial success, debuting at number eight on the Billboard Rock Albums chart and number nineteen on the Billboard 200
.
The Japan
ese edition, issued on September 13, 2006, features three bonus tracks. Another bonus track is exclusively available with a digital download
of the album from the iTunes Store
, while Best Buy
customers received a voucher
inside their CD cases for the download of a fifth bonus track called "Over Me". The album would prove to be the bands final on a major label, leaving Geffen Records
the following year before signing with independent label's Bridge Nine Records and the long running Epitaph Records
.
(2004), which included a supporting slot on Green Day
's American Idiot Tour, the band were left drained and sought an extended break. They were able to take two months off and regroup afterward, something they had not previously done during their career. The quintet decided to take on a new approach for the writing process of Coming Home, rather than the usual "tour bus and dressing room jams", they moved into a house together in Malibu, California called the Morning View Mansion to write and demo new material. Despite this, main composer and lead guitarist, Chad Gilbert
took a book containing over 40 riff ideas that he had written during the previous tour into the mansion. Drummer Cyrus Bolooki explained that, "The whole idea is that we can be sitting around, watching TV, and suddenly be like, 'Hey, I've got an idea. Let's do this'. We've always wanted to do something like this, but we were never sure just how to do it. I know all the guys are really excited to get into the house, hang out and make some music." The band spent four months in Malibu with studio engineer
and long term friend Paul Miner
, from August 2005 through November, eventually leaving with 14 finished demos
to present to their record label.
, who aside from his production work (Tom Petty
, Bruce Springsteen
, Ozzy Osbourne
), served as an executive for Geffen Records
. The band were flattered by Panunzio's interest, immediately agreeing to the collaboration. The quintet had decided against working with Neal Avron, who had produced the band's three previous albums, as they wanted to try something different. The band's frontman, Jordan Pundik
explained that, "We love Neal. Neal's amazing and he's one of our really close friends. But after three records with him, after writing those records and a lot of other bands started to come out and get kind of popular, we kind of wanted to try something different." After hearing a demo of "On My Mind", Panunzio was keen to work on the project. Pundik recalled that, "one of the songs that really got him to say. 'OK, I want to do this' was that song 'On My Mind.' That song really got him. Thom's done everything from like the Go-Go's to Bob Dylan
, so he's very well rounded in music."
The band entered Jackson Browne
's private recording studio
named Groovemasters in January 2006, after Panunzio had suggested it would be a suitable recording location. New Found Glory strove to achieve a "clean kind of classic guitar sound" when recording, using a Vox AC30 amp
on almost the entire record. The amp, known for its "jangly" high-end sound, was used with several classic guitars in the studio including a Fender Tele, Les Paul
, Gibson 335-S
and a Rickenbacker. Gilbert enthused that, "It sounds huge. When you put our old records on and our new record, there's actually less guitars on our new album, but it sounds bigger." Jordan Pundik likewise accounted; "he [Panunzio] brought this classic vibe to it, especially with the tones he got. We learned we don't have to double-up 15 Mesa cabinets and make it all distorted to make it sound big." Pundik also spoke of the bands desire to challenge themselves musically; "Usually with every record we think, 'We’ve got to put the fast punk
song on it or people won't like it', but this wasn't anything like that." He did admit that around thirty songs were written, including some fast-paced songs, but were excluded as, "(they) didn't really fit." Steve Klein
, the bands principal lyricist
and rhythm guitarist, also praised Panunzio for helping the band bring new elements to their sound. Describing the sessions as "best recording experience ever", he added, "It's this empty mansion where we were able to set up all our equipment, we just woke up and wrote songs. We were really relaxed and able to set our own pace. Everything about the record is way more classic rock sounding because Thom has done a bunch of classic rock records like Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen and Ozzy, and the list goes on and on. He kind of brought this different element to our band. This disc is less guitar driven and more melody driven, more than any other of our records."
One track, the folk
-tinged acoustic
song "Too Good to Be", was not written until the latter part of recording, only being penned in minutes whilst in the studio. Jordan Pundik joked that, "the funny thing is, that's the song you'd think we wrote sitting on a beach around a fire." While all the songs were primarily written on guitar
, Chad Gilbert also tracked melodies on piano, despite his limited ability on the instrument. Gilbert explained that, "When we wrote the songs a couple of songs started out on piano, like the melodies. So in pre-production, I did the piano. But I'm not very good, I can write melodies, but I just use two fingers, my pointer fingers." Panunzio subsequently brought in Benmont Tench
(Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
) to play the keyboard, piano
and organ
parts throughout the album. Paul Buckmaster
conducted string section
s for "When I Die" and "Boulders", while indie rock
band Eisley
, comprising four siblings including Gilbert's then-fiancée Sherri DuPree
, provided female backing vocals for seven tracks on the album. Once the process of mixing
and mastering
the record had finalised, the band asked Autumn de Wilde
, best known for her portraiture
and commercial photography of musicians, to shoot the cover art
and liner photography
for the album booklet
. Chad Gilbert later declared that he was "really proud", citing the music as "the most uplifting" the band had ever written, while Pundik added that Coming Home would be "the one that will stand the test of time."
, string section
s) concurrent with their traditional rock-based setup of guitar
, bass
and drums. Most distinctive among the musical arrangements on Coming Home is that only three of the albums thirteen tracks ("Hold My Hand", "Taken Back by You", "Too Good to Be") contain high tempos of over 130 beats per minute. Unlike their earlier work, with fast-paced pop punk
songs such as "My Friends Over You
" and "Truth of My Youth" (both in excess of 150 bpm), various tracks such as "Oxygen", "Make Your Move", "When I Die", "Connected", and "Boulders" contain "moderately slow" tempos of no more than 80 bpm.
Prior the albums release, Chad Gilbert explained, "The songs are all pretty different, sonically speaking" and said that lead single "It's Not Your Fault
", has "big, full guitars and a piano line that goes throughout. It's pretty anthemic, and Jordan's voice has never sounded better." The guitarist also noted that the albums cleaner guitar sound was attributed to little distortion effects used in comparison to earlier albums, while describing "On My Mind" as "this modern New Found Glory twist on a classic rock
song." Brendan Manley of Alternative Press called the album a "statement of sentiment that stands apart in the NFG discography", while The Palm Beach Post
opined that, "Coming Home is similar, in spirit, to the 1990s crooning of Chicago's brilliant Smoking Popes
. Jordan Pundik's vocal delivery curls into sweetness, rather than a snarl. Wrapped around journal-entry cute lines on the boppy, '80s-ish "Hold My Hand" and the earnestly protective pleadings of "It's Not Your Fault." Jack Foley of Indie London wrote "Gilbert’s guitars are crisp, lively and fresh, while the vocal melodies are strong enough to have everyone singing along at some point. Take the feel-good romp that’s "Too Good To Be" for example. It’s vibrant in every sense, boasting some gloriously breezy guitar riffs and some fine vocal layering, with almost hand-clapping beats."
The Salt Lake Tribune
said that the album "largely drops the punk-by-numbers that dominated past efforts to get a little more personal lyrically, thus becoming more approachable." Alan Sculley of The Daily Herald explained that, "Coming Home pretty much leaves any punk element behind. The songs still rock - just note the wallop delivered by "Hold My Hand" or "Connected." But the band pulls back on the tempos of virtually all of the songs." Scene Point Blank writer Chris Abraham noted, "Coming Home still encompasses the things that make New Found Glory great. Relatable lyrics, hooks so melodic and catchy that my hands are red from not buying a mitt, and, despite a mellower tone, I could still imagine myself going fucking nuts singing along to these songs live." AbsolutePunk founder Jason Tate warned that, "it's crucial you abandon any pre-conceived expectations for this album. If you're anticipating the band's previous albums re-hashed, you're going to be completely let-down. While the choruses and sing-a-long hooks could compete with the best on any of their previous albums - it's the slower melodic approach to the songs that truly makes the album come alive and fully breathe." Rae Alexandra of Kerrang!
magazine called the album a "massive departure" and suggested that, "NFG are taking what will be, by far, the biggest gamble of their career. Some of you won't even recognise them immediately; it's not fast, it's not forced, but - in an entirely new way - it sours." In an earlier Kerrang! article discussing the album, Alexandra wrote that "It's Not Your Fault" displays "more maturity - and piano - than ever before", while "When I Die" is "low key with orchestral accents", making it "one of the most beautiful moments on Coming Home." Corey Apar of Allmusic was in agreement and stated that "from the album's packaging to the comfortable nature of the music, it actually feels more mature in a way that is catchy without seeming to care about radio accessibility."
of dealing with time apart in relationships
and familial issues whilst on the road. The albums more serious tone has been attributed to the developing family life of the band (including new marriages and children). Alan Sculley of The Daily Herald explained that, "Catalyst marked a move toward slightly more mature and serious material about relationships and life issues That lyrical direction is even more pronounced on Coming Home." The band were particularly inspired by early Beatles
records, seeing Chad Gilbert working on penning lyrics alongside Pundik and primary lyricist Steve Klein for the first time. Gilbert explained that, "I've always been a part of the music and I've always written the music for the band, but I've never been a part of the lyrics. This time I just kind of felt like in order to kind of have the best record, we had to do things different. That's what made it stand out like that." Regarding the album title, Gilbert detailed that the songs "are all sort of tied together by this theme of wanting to go home", while drummer Cyrus Bolooki said that the title track
was one of the first songs written for the album and after assessing the lyrics "it was a phrase that sat well with we wanted the record to communicate."
Jordan Pundik later accounted, "I'm not comparing my band to the Beatles whatsoever, but their [early] records were simple songs about love and relationships, and people could relate to their songs because they understood what they were trying to say. That's what this record reminds me of. There's not weird metaphors. It's just straight up, wearing your heart on your sleeve." Steve Klein emphasised the shift in mood from their previous album by stating, "I think every record we make we try and capture a time period. When writing the songs for Coming Home it was more positive than negative. I felt on the last record, Catalyst, we were very negative lyrically. You can tell that by the titles “All Downhill From Here” and “This Disaster,” it was a heavier record. Coming Home on the other hand takes you to a different place. It’s the record I feel we’ve been waiting our whole career to do, taking everything people love about NFG and bringing it to the next level." Bassist Ian Grushka further explained, "We only really talk about personal things that have affected us first-hand, our songs are about emotions rather than some political agenda." The song, "When I Die" was written by Gilbert about the death of his father. When initially writing the bridge
section for the song, Gilbert found the experience emotionally draining and had to leave the studio in order to compose himself. Despite this, he maintains that while song is "sad", it remains "a good sad." He reflected this in the albums liner notes
by adding, "It is a song about accepting death and finding the bright side of the situation. I'm no longer afraid to die because I have my father there waiting for me on the other side."
" preceding the album in July. The music video
for "It's Not Your Fault" would eventually make its worldwide debut on 1 August 2006 through Total Request Live
.
A week prior to the albums release, the band posted a mock open letter
to Lionel Richie
, who was also about to release a new album of the same name
the following week. The band jokingly threatened to name their next project Dancing on the Ceiling
(Richie's 1986 album), writing, "Congrats this week on the release of your new CD Coming Home - what an awesome title! Sounds familiar though, where did we hear that before? Oh yeah, it's the name of our new CD which drops Tues. Sept. 19. Our new single and video is 'It's Not Your Fault.' Hey...we haven't heard your song yet...Send us a copy."
The album was released on 13, 19 and 25 September in Japan
, North America
and the United Kingdom
respectively. Following the albums release, the band announced a 34-date tour of North America stretching from Cincinnati to Boston
. The band had initially planned to release either the title track
"Coming Home" or "On My Mind" as the second single, however due to internal problems at Geffen Records
, any further release plans were scrapped. Just after the album was released Jordan Schur, the labels president, lost his job. With no focus on the record in the immediate aftermath, Jordan Pundik recalls, "Everything fell apart and Coming Home was just forgotten about. The record didn't stand a chance." Later the label would offer the band a new contract under a subsidiary label called Octone Records, however the band declined and parted ways with the label. Despite this, the band continued to tour in support of the album, joining Paramore
in the UK during October 2007.
chart, at number nineteen, with sales of 83,123. The album also entered the Billboard Tastemaker Albums chart at number thirteen. The Tastemaker chart is not decided by record sales, but compiled by ranking new albums based on "an influential panel of indie stores and small regional chains." Overall, this marked a drop in performance in comparison to their previous two releases; Catalyst
(2004) and Sticks and Stones
(2002) debuted on the Billboard 200 at number three and four respectively, each selling in excess of 500,000 units. However, with just the sole single release of "It's Not Your Fault
", the band have cited a lack of promotion and support from Geffen Records
as a factor. Indeed, after leaving Geffen for the aforementioned reasons and signing with independent label Epitaph Records
, the bands next release, Not Without a Fight
(2009), topped the Billboard Independent Albums chart and entered the Billboard 200 at number twelve, despite a potentially damaging internet leak
six weeks before its release.
upon its release. Praise often centered on the albums "matured, nuanced songwriting" and slower musicianship. Seen as a departure from their previous work, the songs have been described as the most "mellow" of New Found Glory's career, yet still employing "the group's firmly established talent for writing strong melodies." AbsolutePunk founder Jason Tate scored the album at 88%. He paid compliment to the album's change in direction from earlier material, "the band's latest album hits us as the summer months fade and the air bends to the onslaught of fall. Incidentally, the band's musical thermometer is still intact. Instead of an album full of summer-fist-pumping-anthems they've released the perfect music by which to watch the leaves fall from the trees." He went on to add that Coming Home "certainly has the qualities that could make it a classic in time". Corey Apar of Allmusic awarded the album a four star rating and praised the "at-ease spirit of Coming Home". He emphasised the new approach by adding, "the band is now in a position to simply enjoy itself without needing to forcibly shove saccharine-saturated hooks down the throats of anyone standing nearby. Make no mistake - this is a New Found Glory album through and through. It's full of melody, personality, and all the best attributes of their earlier work presented in a way that grows more memorable with each listen." Brendan Manley of Alternative Press was unanimously positive and awarded a full five-star rating. He noted that the album "extracts their finest qualities. Launching with the excellent "Oxygen", Coming Home boasts stuttering rhythms, full-bodied guitars and gold plated vocal harmonies. NFG have made the best album of their career." Paul Hagen of Big Cheese
magazine awarded a four-star rating and commended the band's experimentation for leaving a "tiresome genre" for a new and matured direction. He offered particular praise to the guitar work, of which he described as "rousing and memorable." He later summed up Coming Home as a "creative, earnest and emotive" record. Texas
based newspaper, The Dallas Morning News
also gave a favorable review and described the album as a "sober, but happy record that recalls the band's formative days in sound and spirit." Simon Vozick-Levinson, critic for Entertainment Weekly
, awarded the album a "B" grade and noted the maturity found amongst the songs; "Like Green Day
and Blink-182
before them, Florida-bred five-some New Found Glory has outgrown the bratty attitude that made them famous".
Alex Lai of Contactmusic likewise noted that, "Those who are familiar with the earlier work of NFG are in for a shock. Beginning in more relaxed fashion than expected, "Oxygen" is a grand love ballad, serious in tone but retaining the group's ability to produce a catchy hook. Far from being a one-off experiment, these are actually the characteristics to the album and like Blink-182 before going on hiatus, New Found Glory have allowed their music to mature." Jack Foley of Indie London, gave the album four stars out of five and described it as "utterly engaging". While mentioning standout tracks, he added, "The low-key "Make Your Move" drops some beautifully cascading riffs, while, the chiming piano chords that open "It’s Not Your Fault" give way into an effortlessly inspiring song." People
magazine declared that Coming Home is "their best album yet", while Dan Aquilante of The New York Post awarded a score of three stars out of four and wrote that the album is "a smart, stylistic mix rich in vocal harmonies, it's driven by guitar and piano breaks. The notion of getting back to family, friends and better days connects the 13 tracks." British rock publication Kerrang!
awarded the album a "great" four K! rating. Rae Alexandra opined that Coming Home "displays a new level of sensitivity and subtlety; a new take on harmonies and melodies." He noted that while the album isn't as immediate as previous material, it will "move you far more deeply in the long run. It's hopeful; learned; masterfully executed. It's everything New Found Glory have been leading to all this time; and it's everything we never knew they had in them. Absolutely stunning." Florida
-based newspaper, The Palm Beach Post
were also highly favorable and graded the album as an "A-". They wrote, "It's all written in beautifully vulnerable, snarkless, shout-it-out-loud terms, with an unself-conscious joy in the lyrics, the do-do-dos and the muted hand claps that find a sweet, genuine current of emotion without sacrificing edge. Pundik's delivery is never cloying, ironic or dumb. Underscored by drummer Cyrus Bolooki's strong beat, the songs are like a pre-made mix tape about the ups and downs of making yourself honestly vulnerable to another human being. Bravo." Rock Sound
journalist Tim Newbound rated the album at nine out of ten and particularly praised the bands progression. Writing that, "New Found Glory have come of age. Put simply, nearly ten years into their flourishing career, the five-some are now better songwriters and better musicians. Their punchy punk-pop styling of old may have dimmed, but their knack of writing inducing melodies amid sincere delivery has only intensified. Pundik's nasal-edged vocals have now blossomed into a fuller pitch, perfectly complimenting his bands more tuneful and matured musicianship. Top notch."
Leslie Simon writing, "From the opening chords of "Oxygen" to the ethereal wafting of "Boulders," I admittedly fell in love with this album the first time I heard it." In AbsolutePunk's staff compiled "Top 30 Albums of the Year" feature, the album placed at number twelve, with Jason Tate noting, "Coming Home features a slick sound from Florida pop-punkers New Found Glory. They aren't shy about pulling out the ballads, nor are they shy about racking up the points in our list." While fellow AbsolutePunk staff writer Drew Beringer placed "Connected" from the album on his list containing his favorite tracks of 2006.
* denotes an unordered list
.
New Found Glory
Additional musicians
Production
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band New Found Glory
New Found Glory
New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...
. It was produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Thom Panunzio
Thom Panunzio
Thom Panunzio grew up in River Edge, New Jersey not too far from Manhattan. He began his career as an audio engineer originally working at Record Plant Studios in New York. There he met, Jimmy Iovine, and started his career working with John Lennon...
and released on September 19, 2006 through Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. Written and demoed at the Morning View Mansion in Malibu during 2005, Coming Home is a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
unified by a lyrical theme of being away from home and loved ones. The album marks a departure from the band's earlier work, implementing piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, and string
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
instrumentation more comparable to classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
than their usual pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
sound.
Coming Home was a critical success for the band, garnering praise from many music critics. The album was particularly noted for its matured style, while the songs were considered the most "mellow" of the bands career. Despite the release of only one single, "It's Not Your Fault
It's Not Your Fault
"It's Not Your Fault" is a song written by American rock band New Found Glory, and released as a promo single from their fifth studio album Coming Home . The track was first announced in July 2006, before the music video debuted on Total Request Live on August 1...
", the album was still a relative commercial success, debuting at number eight on the Billboard Rock Albums chart and number nineteen on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
The Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese edition, issued on September 13, 2006, features three bonus tracks. Another bonus track is exclusively available with a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
of the album from the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, while Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
customers received a voucher
Voucher
A voucher is a bond which is worth a certain monetary value and which may be spent only for specific reasons or on specific goods. Examples include housing, travel, and food vouchers...
inside their CD cases for the download of a fifth bonus track called "Over Me". The album would prove to be the bands final on a major label, leaving Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
the following year before signing with independent label's Bridge Nine Records and the long running Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
.
Background
Following the release and prolonged touring of fourth album CatalystCatalyst (album)
Catalyst is the fourth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. It was produced by Neal Avron and released on May 18, 2004 through Geffen Records. The album includes an enhanced CD portion with a making of the music video for the inaugural single "All Downhill from Here"...
(2004), which included a supporting slot on Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
's American Idiot Tour, the band were left drained and sought an extended break. They were able to take two months off and regroup afterward, something they had not previously done during their career. The quintet decided to take on a new approach for the writing process of Coming Home, rather than the usual "tour bus and dressing room jams", they moved into a house together in Malibu, California called the Morning View Mansion to write and demo new material. Despite this, main composer and lead guitarist, Chad Gilbert
Chad Gilbert
Chad Everett Gilbert is an American musician and record producer. He is a founding member of the rock band New Found Glory, for whom he plays lead guitar, composes music and provides backing vocals...
took a book containing over 40 riff ideas that he had written during the previous tour into the mansion. Drummer Cyrus Bolooki explained that, "The whole idea is that we can be sitting around, watching TV, and suddenly be like, 'Hey, I've got an idea. Let's do this'. We've always wanted to do something like this, but we were never sure just how to do it. I know all the guys are really excited to get into the house, hang out and make some music." The band spent four months in Malibu with studio engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
and long term friend Paul Miner
Paul Miner
Paul Miner is the bassist for Death by Stereo, who left the band early 2005 , to produce, engineer, master, and mix music full time...
, from August 2005 through November, eventually leaving with 14 finished demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
to present to their record label.
Recording
The demos finalised in Malibu caught the attention of Thom PanunzioThom Panunzio
Thom Panunzio grew up in River Edge, New Jersey not too far from Manhattan. He began his career as an audio engineer originally working at Record Plant Studios in New York. There he met, Jimmy Iovine, and started his career working with John Lennon...
, who aside from his production work (Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
), served as an executive for Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. The band were flattered by Panunzio's interest, immediately agreeing to the collaboration. The quintet had decided against working with Neal Avron, who had produced the band's three previous albums, as they wanted to try something different. The band's frontman, Jordan Pundik
Jordan Pundik
Jordan Izaak Pundik is an American musician and songwriter.Pundik is a founding member and the frontman of rock band New Found Glory, for whom he sings lead vocals and contributes lyrics...
explained that, "We love Neal. Neal's amazing and he's one of our really close friends. But after three records with him, after writing those records and a lot of other bands started to come out and get kind of popular, we kind of wanted to try something different." After hearing a demo of "On My Mind", Panunzio was keen to work on the project. Pundik recalled that, "one of the songs that really got him to say. 'OK, I want to do this' was that song 'On My Mind.' That song really got him. Thom's done everything from like the Go-Go's to Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, so he's very well rounded in music."
The band entered Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
's private recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
named Groovemasters in January 2006, after Panunzio had suggested it would be a suitable recording location. New Found Glory strove to achieve a "clean kind of classic guitar sound" when recording, using a Vox AC30 amp
Vox AC30
The Vox AC30 is a guitar amplifier manufactured by Vox and known for its "jangly" high-end sound. First introduced in 1958 due to the growing demand for higher-wattage amplifiers, it became an iconic amplifier for British musicians and soon for others....
on almost the entire record. The amp, known for its "jangly" high-end sound, was used with several classic guitars in the studio including a Fender Tele, Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
, Gibson 335-S
Gibson 335-S
The Gibson 335-S was a solidbody version of their very popular Electric Spanish guitar, the ES-335. Although a very similar shape , and with identical controls, being a solidbody rather than semi-acoustic guitar gave this model a rather different sound.The 335-S came in three varieties:335-S...
and a Rickenbacker. Gilbert enthused that, "It sounds huge. When you put our old records on and our new record, there's actually less guitars on our new album, but it sounds bigger." Jordan Pundik likewise accounted; "he [Panunzio] brought this classic vibe to it, especially with the tones he got. We learned we don't have to double-up 15 Mesa cabinets and make it all distorted to make it sound big." Pundik also spoke of the bands desire to challenge themselves musically; "Usually with every record we think, 'We’ve got to put the fast punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
song on it or people won't like it', but this wasn't anything like that." He did admit that around thirty songs were written, including some fast-paced songs, but were excluded as, "(they) didn't really fit." Steve Klein
Steve Klein (musician)
Stephen Lee "Steve" Klein is an American musician. Klein is a founding member of rock band New Found Glory, for whom he is the primary lyricist and plays rhythm guitar....
, the bands principal lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
and rhythm guitarist, also praised Panunzio for helping the band bring new elements to their sound. Describing the sessions as "best recording experience ever", he added, "It's this empty mansion where we were able to set up all our equipment, we just woke up and wrote songs. We were really relaxed and able to set our own pace. Everything about the record is way more classic rock sounding because Thom has done a bunch of classic rock records like Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen and Ozzy, and the list goes on and on. He kind of brought this different element to our band. This disc is less guitar driven and more melody driven, more than any other of our records."
One track, the folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
-tinged acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
song "Too Good to Be", was not written until the latter part of recording, only being penned in minutes whilst in the studio. Jordan Pundik joked that, "the funny thing is, that's the song you'd think we wrote sitting on a beach around a fire." While all the songs were primarily written on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Chad Gilbert also tracked melodies on piano, despite his limited ability on the instrument. Gilbert explained that, "When we wrote the songs a couple of songs started out on piano, like the melodies. So in pre-production, I did the piano. But I'm not very good, I can write melodies, but I just use two fingers, my pointer fingers." Panunzio subsequently brought in Benmont Tench
Benmont Tench
Benjamin Montmorency Tench, III is an American keyboardist best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early years:...
(Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch...
) to play the keyboard, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
parts throughout the album. Paul Buckmaster
Paul Buckmaster
Paul John Buckmaster is a Grammy Award-winning English artist, arranger and composer.He began learning the cello at the age of 4 and graduated from the Royal College of Music at age 16....
conducted string section
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
s for "When I Die" and "Boulders", while indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Eisley
Eisley
Eisley is a rock band from Tyler, Texas, consisting of four siblings and their cousin , all of whom were born and live in Texas. Although the band's name translates to ice island in several Germanic languages, it was actually selected by the bandmates because of its link to the Star Wars saga...
, comprising four siblings including Gilbert's then-fiancée Sherri DuPree
Sherri DuPree
Sherri Kay DuPree-Bemis is a vocalist, guitarist and lyricist for the band Eisley.-Career:Three of her siblings, Chauntelle, Stacy and Weston are also members of Eisley, along with her cousin, Garron. Her youngest sister Christie has performed with them live as well...
, provided female backing vocals for seven tracks on the album. Once the process of mixing
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
and mastering
Audio mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
the record had finalised, the band asked Autumn de Wilde
Autumn de Wilde
Autumn de Wilde is an American photographer best known for her portraiture and commercial work photography of musicians.-Early life:...
, best known for her portraiture
Portrait photography
Portrait photography or portraiture is the capture by means of photography of the likeness of a person or a small group of people , in which the face and expression is predominant. The objective is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the subject...
and commercial photography of musicians, to shoot the cover art
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
and liner photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
for the album booklet
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
. Chad Gilbert later declared that he was "really proud", citing the music as "the most uplifting" the band had ever written, while Pundik added that Coming Home would be "the one that will stand the test of time."
Music
Music critics agreed that Coming Home represents a more "mature" sound than previously heard from the band, made noticeable by slower songs, more serious lyrics and inclusion of other instruments (keyboards, pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, string section
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
s) concurrent with their traditional rock-based setup of guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and drums. Most distinctive among the musical arrangements on Coming Home is that only three of the albums thirteen tracks ("Hold My Hand", "Taken Back by You", "Too Good to Be") contain high tempos of over 130 beats per minute. Unlike their earlier work, with fast-paced pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
songs such as "My Friends Over You
My Friends over You
"My Friends Over You" is the first single from New Found Glory's third studio album, Sticks and Stones. In the US, the song charted at number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart....
" and "Truth of My Youth" (both in excess of 150 bpm), various tracks such as "Oxygen", "Make Your Move", "When I Die", "Connected", and "Boulders" contain "moderately slow" tempos of no more than 80 bpm.
Prior the albums release, Chad Gilbert explained, "The songs are all pretty different, sonically speaking" and said that lead single "It's Not Your Fault
It's Not Your Fault
"It's Not Your Fault" is a song written by American rock band New Found Glory, and released as a promo single from their fifth studio album Coming Home . The track was first announced in July 2006, before the music video debuted on Total Request Live on August 1...
", has "big, full guitars and a piano line that goes throughout. It's pretty anthemic, and Jordan's voice has never sounded better." The guitarist also noted that the albums cleaner guitar sound was attributed to little distortion effects used in comparison to earlier albums, while describing "On My Mind" as "this modern New Found Glory twist on a classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
song." Brendan Manley of Alternative Press called the album a "statement of sentiment that stands apart in the NFG discography", while The Palm Beach Post
The Palm Beach Post
The Palm Beach Post is a major daily newspaper in Florida, serving Palm Beach County in South Florida, and the Treasure Coast area. It is the 72nd largest daily newspaper in the United States and the sixth largest in Florida.-History:...
opined that, "Coming Home is similar, in spirit, to the 1990s crooning of Chicago's brilliant Smoking Popes
Smoking Popes
The Smoking Popes are an American pop punk from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1991. They play punk-influenced pop music with crooning vocals...
. Jordan Pundik's vocal delivery curls into sweetness, rather than a snarl. Wrapped around journal-entry cute lines on the boppy, '80s-ish "Hold My Hand" and the earnestly protective pleadings of "It's Not Your Fault." Jack Foley of Indie London wrote "Gilbert’s guitars are crisp, lively and fresh, while the vocal melodies are strong enough to have everyone singing along at some point. Take the feel-good romp that’s "Too Good To Be" for example. It’s vibrant in every sense, boasting some gloriously breezy guitar riffs and some fine vocal layering, with almost hand-clapping beats."
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
said that the album "largely drops the punk-by-numbers that dominated past efforts to get a little more personal lyrically, thus becoming more approachable." Alan Sculley of The Daily Herald explained that, "Coming Home pretty much leaves any punk element behind. The songs still rock - just note the wallop delivered by "Hold My Hand" or "Connected." But the band pulls back on the tempos of virtually all of the songs." Scene Point Blank writer Chris Abraham noted, "Coming Home still encompasses the things that make New Found Glory great. Relatable lyrics, hooks so melodic and catchy that my hands are red from not buying a mitt, and, despite a mellower tone, I could still imagine myself going fucking nuts singing along to these songs live." AbsolutePunk founder Jason Tate warned that, "it's crucial you abandon any pre-conceived expectations for this album. If you're anticipating the band's previous albums re-hashed, you're going to be completely let-down. While the choruses and sing-a-long hooks could compete with the best on any of their previous albums - it's the slower melodic approach to the songs that truly makes the album come alive and fully breathe." Rae Alexandra of Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine called the album a "massive departure" and suggested that, "NFG are taking what will be, by far, the biggest gamble of their career. Some of you won't even recognise them immediately; it's not fast, it's not forced, but - in an entirely new way - it sours." In an earlier Kerrang! article discussing the album, Alexandra wrote that "It's Not Your Fault" displays "more maturity - and piano - than ever before", while "When I Die" is "low key with orchestral accents", making it "one of the most beautiful moments on Coming Home." Corey Apar of Allmusic was in agreement and stated that "from the album's packaging to the comfortable nature of the music, it actually feels more mature in a way that is catchy without seeming to care about radio accessibility."
Lyrics
Lyrically, the album is themed around the conceptConcept
The word concept is used in ordinary language as well as in almost all academic disciplines. Particularly in philosophy, psychology and cognitive sciences the term is much used and much discussed. WordNet defines concept: "conception, construct ". However, the meaning of the term concept is much...
of dealing with time apart in relationships
Intimate relationship
An intimate relationship is a particularly close interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Physical intimacy is characterized by romantic or passionate love and attachment, or sexual activity. The term is also sometimes used euphemistically for a sexual...
and familial issues whilst on the road. The albums more serious tone has been attributed to the developing family life of the band (including new marriages and children). Alan Sculley of The Daily Herald explained that, "Catalyst marked a move toward slightly more mature and serious material about relationships and life issues That lyrical direction is even more pronounced on Coming Home." The band were particularly inspired by early Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
records, seeing Chad Gilbert working on penning lyrics alongside Pundik and primary lyricist Steve Klein for the first time. Gilbert explained that, "I've always been a part of the music and I've always written the music for the band, but I've never been a part of the lyrics. This time I just kind of felt like in order to kind of have the best record, we had to do things different. That's what made it stand out like that." Regarding the album title, Gilbert detailed that the songs "are all sort of tied together by this theme of wanting to go home", while drummer Cyrus Bolooki said that the title track
Title track
Title track may refer to:*Title track, a recorded song having the same name as the album or movie it comes from*Title Track, a song on the album The Stage Names*Title Track, a song on the album We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes...
was one of the first songs written for the album and after assessing the lyrics "it was a phrase that sat well with we wanted the record to communicate."
Jordan Pundik later accounted, "I'm not comparing my band to the Beatles whatsoever, but their [early] records were simple songs about love and relationships, and people could relate to their songs because they understood what they were trying to say. That's what this record reminds me of. There's not weird metaphors. It's just straight up, wearing your heart on your sleeve." Steve Klein emphasised the shift in mood from their previous album by stating, "I think every record we make we try and capture a time period. When writing the songs for Coming Home it was more positive than negative. I felt on the last record, Catalyst, we were very negative lyrically. You can tell that by the titles “All Downhill From Here” and “This Disaster,” it was a heavier record. Coming Home on the other hand takes you to a different place. It’s the record I feel we’ve been waiting our whole career to do, taking everything people love about NFG and bringing it to the next level." Bassist Ian Grushka further explained, "We only really talk about personal things that have affected us first-hand, our songs are about emotions rather than some political agenda." The song, "When I Die" was written by Gilbert about the death of his father. When initially writing the bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
section for the song, Gilbert found the experience emotionally draining and had to leave the studio in order to compose himself. Despite this, he maintains that while song is "sad", it remains "a good sad." He reflected this in the albums liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
by adding, "It is a song about accepting death and finding the bright side of the situation. I'm no longer afraid to die because I have my father there waiting for me on the other side."
Release and promotion
Coming Home was first announced in June 2006, with the band citing a scheduled release date of September, with lead single "It's Not Your FaultIt's Not Your Fault
"It's Not Your Fault" is a song written by American rock band New Found Glory, and released as a promo single from their fifth studio album Coming Home . The track was first announced in July 2006, before the music video debuted on Total Request Live on August 1...
" preceding the album in July. The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "It's Not Your Fault" would eventually make its worldwide debut on 1 August 2006 through Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
.
A week prior to the albums release, the band posted a mock open letter
Open letter
An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally....
to Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
, who was also about to release a new album of the same name
Coming Home (Lionel Richie album)
Coming Home is the eighth studio album by Lionel Richie, released on September 12, 2006 by Island Records. It debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, becoming his biggest hit album since 1986's Dancing on the Ceiling. It has sold 517,000 units worldwide.The music video for "I Call It Love"...
the following week. The band jokingly threatened to name their next project Dancing on the Ceiling
Dancing on the Ceiling
Dancing on the Ceiling is Lionel Richie's third album, which was released on July 15, 1986. The title cut was the second biggest single from the album, reaching #1 in the U.S. and #7 in the UK...
(Richie's 1986 album), writing, "Congrats this week on the release of your new CD Coming Home - what an awesome title! Sounds familiar though, where did we hear that before? Oh yeah, it's the name of our new CD which drops Tues. Sept. 19. Our new single and video is 'It's Not Your Fault.' Hey...we haven't heard your song yet...Send us a copy."
The album was released on 13, 19 and 25 September in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
respectively. Following the albums release, the band announced a 34-date tour of North America stretching from Cincinnati to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. The band had initially planned to release either the title track
Title track
Title track may refer to:*Title track, a recorded song having the same name as the album or movie it comes from*Title Track, a song on the album The Stage Names*Title Track, a song on the album We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes...
"Coming Home" or "On My Mind" as the second single, however due to internal problems at Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, any further release plans were scrapped. Just after the album was released Jordan Schur, the labels president, lost his job. With no focus on the record in the immediate aftermath, Jordan Pundik recalls, "Everything fell apart and Coming Home was just forgotten about. The record didn't stand a chance." Later the label would offer the band a new contract under a subsidiary label called Octone Records, however the band declined and parted ways with the label. Despite this, the band continued to tour in support of the album, joining Paramore
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...
in the UK during October 2007.
Commercial performance
Coming Home debuted at number eight on the Billboard Rock Albums chart and just inside the top twenty on the main Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, at number nineteen, with sales of 83,123. The album also entered the Billboard Tastemaker Albums chart at number thirteen. The Tastemaker chart is not decided by record sales, but compiled by ranking new albums based on "an influential panel of indie stores and small regional chains." Overall, this marked a drop in performance in comparison to their previous two releases; Catalyst
Catalyst (album)
Catalyst is the fourth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. It was produced by Neal Avron and released on May 18, 2004 through Geffen Records. The album includes an enhanced CD portion with a making of the music video for the inaugural single "All Downhill from Here"...
(2004) and Sticks and Stones
Sticks and Stones (New Found Glory album)
Sticks and Stones is the third studio album and major label debut by American rock band New Found Glory. As with its predesossor, their eponymously-titled second album, it was again produced by Neal Avron and was released on June 11, 2002 through MCA Records...
(2002) debuted on the Billboard 200 at number three and four respectively, each selling in excess of 500,000 units. However, with just the sole single release of "It's Not Your Fault
It's Not Your Fault
"It's Not Your Fault" is a song written by American rock band New Found Glory, and released as a promo single from their fifth studio album Coming Home . The track was first announced in July 2006, before the music video debuted on Total Request Live on August 1...
", the band have cited a lack of promotion and support from Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
as a factor. Indeed, after leaving Geffen for the aforementioned reasons and signing with independent label Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
, the bands next release, Not Without a Fight
Not Without a Fight
Not Without a Fight is the sixth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. It was released on March 10, 2009 through independent label Epitaph Records. Produced by Blink-182 singer-bassist Mark Hoppus and recorded at his home based-OPRA Studios, the album was seen as a return to the bands...
(2009), topped the Billboard Independent Albums chart and entered the Billboard 200 at number twelve, despite a potentially damaging internet leak
Internet leak
An Internet leak occurs when a party's confidential information is released to the public on the Internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such...
six weeks before its release.
Critical response
Coming Home garnered many positive reviews from music criticsMusic criticism
See also Music journalism for reporting on classical and popular music in the media.The Oxford Companion to Music defines music criticism as 'the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres'. In this...
upon its release. Praise often centered on the albums "matured, nuanced songwriting" and slower musicianship. Seen as a departure from their previous work, the songs have been described as the most "mellow" of New Found Glory's career, yet still employing "the group's firmly established talent for writing strong melodies." AbsolutePunk founder Jason Tate scored the album at 88%. He paid compliment to the album's change in direction from earlier material, "the band's latest album hits us as the summer months fade and the air bends to the onslaught of fall. Incidentally, the band's musical thermometer is still intact. Instead of an album full of summer-fist-pumping-anthems they've released the perfect music by which to watch the leaves fall from the trees." He went on to add that Coming Home "certainly has the qualities that could make it a classic in time". Corey Apar of Allmusic awarded the album a four star rating and praised the "at-ease spirit of Coming Home". He emphasised the new approach by adding, "the band is now in a position to simply enjoy itself without needing to forcibly shove saccharine-saturated hooks down the throats of anyone standing nearby. Make no mistake - this is a New Found Glory album through and through. It's full of melody, personality, and all the best attributes of their earlier work presented in a way that grows more memorable with each listen." Brendan Manley of Alternative Press was unanimously positive and awarded a full five-star rating. He noted that the album "extracts their finest qualities. Launching with the excellent "Oxygen", Coming Home boasts stuttering rhythms, full-bodied guitars and gold plated vocal harmonies. NFG have made the best album of their career." Paul Hagen of Big Cheese
Big Cheese (magazine)
Big Cheese is an independent British magazine which covers alternative music including rock, punk, and metal amongst others. It is circulated monthly.-Features:...
magazine awarded a four-star rating and commended the band's experimentation for leaving a "tiresome genre" for a new and matured direction. He offered particular praise to the guitar work, of which he described as "rousing and memorable." He later summed up Coming Home as a "creative, earnest and emotive" record. Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
based newspaper, The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
also gave a favorable review and described the album as a "sober, but happy record that recalls the band's formative days in sound and spirit." Simon Vozick-Levinson, critic for Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, awarded the album a "B" grade and noted the maturity found amongst the songs; "Like Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
and Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
before them, Florida-bred five-some New Found Glory has outgrown the bratty attitude that made them famous".
Alex Lai of Contactmusic likewise noted that, "Those who are familiar with the earlier work of NFG are in for a shock. Beginning in more relaxed fashion than expected, "Oxygen" is a grand love ballad, serious in tone but retaining the group's ability to produce a catchy hook. Far from being a one-off experiment, these are actually the characteristics to the album and like Blink-182 before going on hiatus, New Found Glory have allowed their music to mature." Jack Foley of Indie London, gave the album four stars out of five and described it as "utterly engaging". While mentioning standout tracks, he added, "The low-key "Make Your Move" drops some beautifully cascading riffs, while, the chiming piano chords that open "It’s Not Your Fault" give way into an effortlessly inspiring song." People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine declared that Coming Home is "their best album yet", while Dan Aquilante of The New York Post awarded a score of three stars out of four and wrote that the album is "a smart, stylistic mix rich in vocal harmonies, it's driven by guitar and piano breaks. The notion of getting back to family, friends and better days connects the 13 tracks." British rock publication Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
awarded the album a "great" four K! rating. Rae Alexandra opined that Coming Home "displays a new level of sensitivity and subtlety; a new take on harmonies and melodies." He noted that while the album isn't as immediate as previous material, it will "move you far more deeply in the long run. It's hopeful; learned; masterfully executed. It's everything New Found Glory have been leading to all this time; and it's everything we never knew they had in them. Absolutely stunning." Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
-based newspaper, The Palm Beach Post
The Palm Beach Post
The Palm Beach Post is a major daily newspaper in Florida, serving Palm Beach County in South Florida, and the Treasure Coast area. It is the 72nd largest daily newspaper in the United States and the sixth largest in Florida.-History:...
were also highly favorable and graded the album as an "A-". They wrote, "It's all written in beautifully vulnerable, snarkless, shout-it-out-loud terms, with an unself-conscious joy in the lyrics, the do-do-dos and the muted hand claps that find a sweet, genuine current of emotion without sacrificing edge. Pundik's delivery is never cloying, ironic or dumb. Underscored by drummer Cyrus Bolooki's strong beat, the songs are like a pre-made mix tape about the ups and downs of making yourself honestly vulnerable to another human being. Bravo." Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
journalist Tim Newbound rated the album at nine out of ten and particularly praised the bands progression. Writing that, "New Found Glory have come of age. Put simply, nearly ten years into their flourishing career, the five-some are now better songwriters and better musicians. Their punchy punk-pop styling of old may have dimmed, but their knack of writing inducing melodies amid sincere delivery has only intensified. Pundik's nasal-edged vocals have now blossomed into a fuller pitch, perfectly complimenting his bands more tuneful and matured musicianship. Top notch."
Accolades
Coming Home received recognition in year-end lists compiled by the music media. Alternative Press included the album in their end-of-year "Essential Albums" list, with editorEditor
The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
Leslie Simon writing, "From the opening chords of "Oxygen" to the ethereal wafting of "Boulders," I admittedly fell in love with this album the first time I heard it." In AbsolutePunk's staff compiled "Top 30 Albums of the Year" feature, the album placed at number twelve, with Jason Tate noting, "Coming Home features a slick sound from Florida pop-punkers New Found Glory. They aren't shy about pulling out the ballads, nor are they shy about racking up the points in our list." While fellow AbsolutePunk staff writer Drew Beringer placed "Connected" from the album on his list containing his favorite tracks of 2006.
| Publication | Country | Nominated Work | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AbsolutePunk | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Coming Home | Top Thirty Albums of the Year | 2006 2006 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band.... |
12 |
| "Connected" | Drew Beringer's Best Songs of the Year | * | |||
| Alternative Press | Coming Home | Ten Essential Albums of the Year | * |
Track listing
All songs written, composed and performed by New Found GloryNew Found Glory
New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...
.
Personnel
The following personnel contributed to Coming Home:New Found Glory
- Jordan PundikJordan PundikJordan Izaak Pundik is an American musician and songwriter.Pundik is a founding member and the frontman of rock band New Found Glory, for whom he sings lead vocals and contributes lyrics...
— lead vocals, lyricsLyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of... - Chad GilbertChad GilbertChad Everett Gilbert is an American musician and record producer. He is a founding member of the rock band New Found Glory, for whom he plays lead guitar, composes music and provides backing vocals...
— lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, composer, lyrics - Steve KleinSteve Klein (musician)Stephen Lee "Steve" Klein is an American musician. Klein is a founding member of rock band New Found Glory, for whom he is the primary lyricist and plays rhythm guitar....
— rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, lyrics - Ian Grushka — bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Cyrus Bolooki — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Additional musicians
- Paul BuckmasterPaul BuckmasterPaul John Buckmaster is a Grammy Award-winning English artist, arranger and composer.He began learning the cello at the age of 4 and graduated from the Royal College of Music at age 16....
— conductor, string arrangement - Benmont TenchBenmont TenchBenjamin Montmorency Tench, III is an American keyboardist best known as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early years:...
— organ, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, keysKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - EisleyEisleyEisley is a rock band from Tyler, Texas, consisting of four siblings and their cousin , all of whom were born and live in Texas. Although the band's name translates to ice island in several Germanic languages, it was actually selected by the bandmates because of its link to the Star Wars saga...
— all backing vocals - Jarett Grushka — triangleTriangle (instrument)The triangle is an idiophone type of musical instrument in the percussion family. It is a bar of metal, usually steel but sometimes other metals like beryllium copper, bent into a triangle shape. The instrument is usually held by a loop of some form of thread or wire at the top curve...
Production
- Thom PanunzioThom PanunzioThom Panunzio grew up in River Edge, New Jersey not too far from Manhattan. He began his career as an audio engineer originally working at Record Plant Studios in New York. There he met, Jimmy Iovine, and started his career working with John Lennon...
, New Found GloryNew Found GloryNew Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...
— producersRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Paul MinerPaul MinerPaul Miner is the bassist for Death by Stereo, who left the band early 2005 , to produce, engineer, master, and mix music full time...
— engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including... - Tom Lord-AlgeTom Lord-AlgeTom Lord-Alge is a four-time Grammy Award–winning record producer and mixer. He is the youngest of Vivian Lord's five children, Mark Lord-Alge, Lisa Lord-Alge, Chris Lord-Alge, Jeff Lord-Alge and Tom Lord-Alge...
— mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Ted JensenTed JensenTed Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
— masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced... - J. Peter RobinsonJ. Peter RobinsonJ. Peter Robinson is a composer whose works include Nightmare Cafe, Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Return of the Living Dead Part II, Vampire in Brooklyn , The World's Fastest Indian, and The Bank Job.He also composed some music for the English version of Godzilla 2000...
— art direction - Matt TaylorMatthew Taylor (musician)Matthew Taylor is a musician and artist.Taylor was a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he studied music composition and improvisation under John Corbett. He is a founding member of the indie rock band Bellini and math rock band the Romulans...
— designDesignDesign as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan... - Autumn de WildeAutumn de WildeAutumn de Wilde is an American photographer best known for her portraiture and commercial work photography of musicians.-Early life:...
— photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
Chart performance
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... (ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... ) |
48 |
| U.K Album Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... (The Official Charts Company) |
86 |
| U.S Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
19 |
| U.S Rock Albums (Billboard) | 8 |
| U.S Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) | 13 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue # | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
13 September 2006 | Universal Universal Records Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:... |
Compact Disc Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
UICF-1077 | |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
19 September 2006 | Geffen Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:... |
B0007676-02 | ||
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
25 September 2006 | CID1706 |