Closing a trilogy started almost two decades ago, Florida pop-punk vets
New Found Glory deliver their covers collection
From the Screen to Your Stereo, Vol. 3. Arriving two years after their ninth proper full-length, 2017's
Makes Me Sick, this EP is the shortest of the trio. With seven songs that span cultural generations,
NFG mine their childhoods with '80s gems such as
Huey Lewis & the News' "The Power of Love" (from
Back to the Future) and
Survivor's oft-covered "Eye of the Tiger" from
Rocky III. The most nostalgic of the bunch, they burst with the energy of a much younger band.
NFG press fast-forward on the VCR and skip past the '90s, briefly stepping into 2004 for their take on
Counting Crows' "Accidentally in Love" from
Shrek 2. Much like "This Is Me," these covers almost sound like
NFG originals, highlighting the band's ability to mold each song into their own recognizable style. In addition to that
Greatest Showman number,
NFG keep the majority of
Vol. 3 firmly in the 2010s: "Cups" from
Pitch Perfect receives a rollicking makeover that ramps up the emo-punk yearning, while
Christina Perri's 2011 wedding classic from
Twilight, "A Thousand Years," is reimagined as a soaring, arena-sized rock anthem. Indeed, every track here is well-executed and immensely fun, but it's their version of
Frozen's "Let It Go" that really makes the collection worthwhile. Seizing the cathartic and triumphant spirit of the Disney classic, the band blast it sky high upon driving riffs, pummeling drums, and an impressive
Idina Menzel-worthy high note that frontman
Jordan Pundik manages to nail at the end. As crowd-pleasing as their first volume from way back in 2000,
From the Screen to Your Stereo, Vol. 3 is pure joy for nostalgic diehards and pop culture fans. ~ Neil Z. Yeung
