December's Here

Taking a turn into holiday territory, pop-punk stalwarts New Found Glory put their stamp on the Christmas season with Decembers Here. Surprisingly touching and thoughtful, the set balances warmth and cheer with a huge heart and a hopeful message. Recorded and released as the COVID-19 pandemic was still a looming presence in the world, there are touches of anxiety and uncertainty bubbling beneath the surface of each song, which the band tries to quell with these irresistible seasonal gems. Shout-outs to perennial film favorites like Home Alone, Elf, and Christmas Vacation ("Decembers Here") and childhood song memories by the Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, and Mariah Carey ("Holiday Records") provide nostalgic pop-culture touchstones in typical NFG fashion, while bittersweet moments like "Somber Christmas" and a re-recorded "Nothing for Christmas" (last heard on 2012s acoustic A Very New Found Glory Christmas EP) offer time to reflect. Another older track, "It Never Snows in Florida," receives an appropriate "Holiday Version," toning down the punk crunch in favor of a peaceful acoustic rendering fit for a warm blanket and cup of hot cocoa. The pensive 2014 single "Snow" also appears. Fans of the band (and the season) will find plenty to love on Decembers Here, a sweet twist on the typical Christmas music that hits the same emotional mark without being stuffy or old-fashioned. ~ Neil Z. Yeung