On September 6, 2024 “A Whole New Sound” was released. The album consists of 12 classic Disney songs covered by pop-punk bands. As a millennial “emo” kid, I find myself uniquely qualified to review this new full-length album. I grew up listening to all of these Disney songs and watching the movies they were in, and I’ve been listening to bands like New Found Glory since I was in middle school. So, grab your headphones, turn up the volume, and let’s see what this album has to offer.

Track 1 – ‘Part of Your World’ by New Found Glory

As far as the album opener goes, this is quite good. It’s fast, energetic, and full of fun guitar riffs and thundering drums. Jordan Pundik does a nice job making this song his own, adding embellishments to the vocals. Their 2019 cover of “Let It Go” leaned a bit more “punk” whereas “Part of Your World” is more “pop”, but overall this is one of the more solid covers on the album.

Rank out of 7: 6

Track 2 – ‘Remember Me’ by Mayday Parade

I let out a squeal of excitement seeing Mayday Parade listed on the album. Out of all of the bands in the genre, they are arguably the best at being sad (see their songs “Stay” or “Terrible Things” for proof) and it felt so fitting for them to cover “Remember Me” from “Coco.” However, in my head, I was imagining pianos and crooning vocals, but instead, I got upbeat, happy vibes with guitar solos. Was this song bad? No, I’m pretty sure the band is incapable of making anything “bad.” But this was such a disappointment.

Rank out of 7: 4

Track 3 – Can You Feel the Love Tonight by Simple Plan

For a band that formed in 1999, Simple Plan proves with this song they still have what it takes to be titans of pop-punk. It’s a fun song, Pierre Bouvier hits every note perfectly, and they even throw in a (mini) breakdown that’ll have you bobbing your head. Simple Plan previously played during this year’s Garden Rocks concert series at the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, and I hope they return for another year so they can play this live. It’s arguably the best song on the album.

Rank out of 7: 7

Track 4 – ‘I2I’ by Magnolia Park

I was thrilled to see that Orlando natives Magnolia Park would be included on this album, especially because they were covering this classic song from “A Goofy Movie.” All of the elements from the original song are included in the cover, including the synth and the melody. This is “I2I,” just a little bit heavier than the original. There are a few parts where Joshua Roberts struggles to reach higher notes, but it isn’t easy to master Tevin Campbell’s vocal range. For a newer band in the scene, I think they did well with this cover, and I hope that it encourages others to check out their original music, because they’re quite good.

Rank out of 7: 5

Track 5 – ‘A Whole New World’ (featuring Chrissy Costanza) by Yellowcard

Instead of Yellowcard making this song their own, they fell into the trap of re-making “A Whole New World” and adding some guitars and drums. It’s not bad, but it could be better. They’re scheduled to play the Eat to the Beat concert series at EPCOT for the International Food & Wine Festival and I’m eager to see if they’ll be able to adapt this and play it live. That said, Chrissy Costanza was the best part of this song. Her vocals are incredible, so the song is worth a listen to just for her.

Rank out of 7: 4

Track 6 – ‘Go the Distance’ by We the Kings

While the song is a bit overproduced, Travis Clark’s voice still stands out. Even from the early days of “Check Yes Juliet”, he’s been a strong singer, and “Go the Distance” was a good way for him to show off his skill and power. This song is good, but it could’ve been great if they stripped back the production just a bit. This is another band that will be playing the Eat to the Beat concert series, and I have a feeling this song might sound better live than it does on the album.

Rank out of 7: 5

Track 7 – ‘Surface Pressure’ by Plain White T’s

We got a sneak peek of this song during the 2024 D23 Parks & Experiences Presentation when the Plain White T’s were brought out on stage with some dancing donkeys to play this live. I fell in love with this song then, and on the album, it sounds just as good. Where some of the other songs on this album feel overproduced, this doesn’t in the least bit. The vocals can be heard clearly, along with all of the instruments and it’s loud in a great way. This song blends the whimsy of Disney music with pop-punk. Plain White T’s understood the assignment.

Rank out of 7: 7

Track 8 – ‘You’ve Got a Friend in Me’ by Meet Me @ The Alter

If you listen to their original music, Meet Me @ The Alter puts the pop in pop-punk, and while it may work there, it unfortunately doesn’t work here. Edith Victoria made too many weird choices when emphasizing different words and elongating others. This is a talented band, but they didn’t cover a song that fit their musical style.

Rank out of 7: 1

Track 9 – ‘You’ll Be in My Heart’ by Boys Like Girls

This is another song that suffers from overproduction and honestly, it lacks creativity. The song is slow, even when it picks up a bit, and there’s nothing fun or unique about it. It does match the musical stylings of “Sunday at Foxwoods,” the 2023 album released by Boys Like Girls. If you enjoyed that album, you’ll probably like this. However, for fans of their self-titled album or “Love Drunk,” this will not be what you were expecting or wanted.

Rank out of 7: 2

Track 10 – ‘Colors of the Wind’ by Tokio Hotel

If you’ve followed the German band Tokio Hotel for any length of time, you’ll know that they’ve had a few genre shifts over the years. They started out grunge/alt-rock, then shifted into pop rock before becoming an electropop band. Due to their eclectic background, I was interested to see how they would take on “Colors of the Wind.” This cover definitely fits in the “pop-punk” stratosphere, and it’s really fun. Bill Kaulitz’s lower register gives this song an entirely new feeling compared to Judy Kuhn’s warm, rich vocals on the original. While there’s a hint of synth in the cover, it’s not overpowering and blends well with the other instruments. This is one of the better songs on the record.

Rank out of 7: 6

Track 11 – ‘Let It Go’ by LØLØ

Let’s be honest, no one will ever compare to Idina Menzel. That said, this song isn’t bad if you’re a LØLØ fan. I personally dislike the autotune and vocal modulation she uses in most of her music, and you can tell that she uses it in this song as well. That bothered me. If I’m going to listen to a cover of “Let It Go” I’ll probably stick with the one from New Found Glory or, if I’m looking for something heavier, Betraying the Martyrs.

Rank out of 7: 2

Track 12 – ‘Friend Like Me’ by Bowling For Soup

Bowling For Soup has always leaned into the comedy of pop-punk. They’re a refreshing band that doesn’t take themselves too seriously and has fun with their music. That personality is evident in their cover of “Friend Like Me.” Jaret Reddick sings this like he’s Genie from “Aladdin” and, in an odd way, it works. Is this the best song on the album? No, but it will make you smile.

Rank out of 7: 5

Overall, “A Whole New Sound” isn’t a bad album, but it’s not a great one either. Many of the songs are overproduced and suffer from trying to simply re-make a song instead of putting a new twist on it. While the highs are high, the lows are, unfortunately, quite low, and on a re-listen, there are certain songs I’ll skip altogether.

While I’m glad to see newer bands in the rock scene being represented on this album, there are plenty of huge bands that were left off, such as Neck Deep, All Time Low, and The Home Team. It feels like the album was split in half with two goals: appeal to newer fans just getting into pop-punk, and lean into nostalgia for the “elder emos.” Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t, but if you’re a pop-punk and Disney fan, then this is worth a listen.

What did you think of “this album”A Whole New Sound?” Let us know in the comments and on social media.

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