Set Your Goals

Of all the acts signed to a major label in the post-Blink-182 pop-punk boom, who would've guessed that New Found Glory would serve as inspiration for hundreds of sound-alikes? Until recently, in fact, NFG was the dominant influence on the pop-hardcore sextet Set Your Goals. But with the July 21 release of its sophomore album, This Will Be the Death of Us, the Bay-area band has distanced itself from fellow imitators like Four Year Strong. Death is loaded with guest vocals; Paramore's Hayley Williams drops in on "The Few That Remain," and "Our Ethos: A Legacy to Pass On" features her boyfriend, Chad Gilbert — yes, of New Found Glory. (OK, so maybe the NFG comparisons won't stop yet.) These tracks are significantly more challenging than anything off the band's previous album, Mutiny! — and SYG is notoriously sloppy live — so let's hope the band's been practicing.