New Found Glory, “December’s Here.”

It’s difficult to pull off something that feels new when it comes to holiday-themed music, but pop-punk stalwarts New Found Glory manage to do just that with their latest release, December’s Here. Not only do the Florida rockers put a spin on the season, but they do so with 11 original tracks instead of covering the traditional songs. The band took some stylistic chances and, most importantly, had a little fun.

The tracks on December’s Here are written in the pop-punk style and attitude, with some of the riffs dialed back just a little and backfilled with retro rockabilly flair. The opening title track is an ode to the joys and pastimes of the holiday season.

“I’ll rewatch ‘Elf’ about a thousand times, I could close my eyes and recite the lines,” Jordan Pundik sings over a swaying acoustic groove and multipart backing harmonies.

A familiar piano and jingles open “Somber Christmas,” before New Found Glory enters with drums and guitars. The track turns a break-up song into an uplifting anthem about looking back on memories of days gone by. Will there be some punk fans that are turned off by the cheery tone of the album? Maybe, but isn’t the point of the genre to break the rules?

“Holiday Records” is a simple song about about digging through a vinyl record collection to pull out the holiday classics with family and friends. The gang vocal sing-along at the end is silly and fun, and put a smile on my face. Acoustic ballad “Nothing For Christmas” is a swaying love song that brings a surprising earnestness.

What’s really fun about the album is it’s clear that New Found Glory set out to make an authentic and cohesive Christmas album, rather than a spoof. There’s really a lot of innocence and heart here. The swinging and upbeat “Christmas Card” is about the difficulty finding, well, the right card to say the right words.

The band makes a plea to the man in the red suit on “Santa Forgive Me,” in hopes that he’ll still climb down the chimney despite past transgressions. Lyrically, the songs are simple and digestible messages by design. You can listen to this album while your family decorates the tree or opens up presents on Christmas morning. Case in point, “First Christmas” is a love song about a new relationship during the holiday season and all the pastimes that come along with it.

Slow ballad “Snow” might be one of the strongest tracks on the album, about the rise and fall of emotions during the holiday season. The acoustic track is well-constructed with warm harmonies. Things turn more upbeat on “Don’t Fight On Christmas,” which is sonically a pop song but with a little bit of a retro streak. “I know it’s cold outside, but don’t lose your cool,” Pudnik sings on the hook.

The band reworks one of its own tracks on “It Never Snows in Florida,” an acoustic version of a previously full-on punk song. The song mixes in some piano, jingle bells and and more holiday touches. The record closes out with “For Christmas Sake,” another surprisingly honest and sweet reminder to cling to the childhood joys and traditions of the season as we age. The song includes lines about wishing for new “He-Man” action figures, anticipating Christmas morning, while acknowledging how much work parents put in to make the holiday a happy one for their kids.

If you’re a fan of Christmastime and holiday music, you’ll most certainly find something you’ll enjoy on the album. If not, you probably weren’t going to check out the album in the first place. In a world with so much anger and violence, New Found Glory delivers a moment of innocence with this album.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.