Catalyst is the fourth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory, released on May 18, 2004 through Drive-Thru and Geffen Records.

[15] A variety of session musicians appear on the recordings: David Campbell (string arrangements and viola on "I Don't Wanna Know"), Joel Derouin (violin on "I Don't Wanna Know"), Charlie Bisharat (violin on "I Don't Wanna Know"), Larry Corbett (cello on "I Don't Wanna Know"), Riley Avron (backing vocals on "Your Biggest Mistake"), Debra Byrd (backing vocals on "Doubt Full"), Angela Fisher (backing vocals on "Doubt Full") and Tony Wilkins (backing vocals on "Doubt Full").

[17] In addition, it introduces a mini choir ("Doubt Full"), metal ("At Least I'm Known for Something") and hardcore punk-esque ("Intro") riffs, and string ("I Don't Wanna Know") and keyboard ("Failure's Not Flattering") instruments to the group's sound.

"[17] "Intro" is a short 37-second long song,[18] which talks about people who treat punk rock as a fashion style.

[22] "This Disaster" sees Pundik singing in a higher vocal register, earning a comparison to Davey Havok of AFI.

[1] "Truth of My Youth" is an up-tempo track that was reminiscent of the group's older material, and is followed by the ballad "I Don't Wanna Know".

[18] Gilbert wrote a lead part over the chorus in "Failure's Not Flattering", which Pundik jokingly said sounded like it was from Beverly Hills, 90210.

[9] A music video was filmed for "All Downhill from Here" on March 15 in Los Angeles, California with director Meiert Avis.

[9] It features the band performing combined with clay models and computer graphics created by French animation company No Brains.

The group went with Avis' treatment as they were tired of previous proposals that attempted to convey heartbreak, and instead went with one that had no relation to the lyrics.

[11] Grushka said Drive-Thru had no involvement in album, but they kept the label's "logo on our CDs because we feel they had a big part in helping us to get to this level".

[36] At the end of the month and the start of September, the group went on a brief European tour, which included performances at the Reading and Leeds Festivals.

[9] On September 20, a music video was filmed for "I Don't Wanna Know" in Los Angeles with director Liz Friedlander.

[38] In December, the group went on an Australia tour with support from Reggie and the Full Effect, Righteous Jams, the Explosion and Hot Water Music.

[39] Entertainment Weekly writer Sean Richardson praised the band for adding tracks that range from "string-laden balladry (”I Don’t Wanna Know”) to surging hardcore (”At Least I’m Known for Something”)" alongside their pop punk repertoire, concluding that "They may have eyes for the Top 40, but these skater boys still know how to rock.

"[26] Johnny Loftus from AllMusic said, "Catalyst doesn't quite graduate New Found Glory from the punk-pop rungs.

From its main aesthetic thrust to the pristine mixing and production, this is a slick and durable Drive-Thru missive, micro-tweaked for maximum Warped Tour ROI.

"[22] Rolling Stone writer Kirk Miller gave note of the '80s thrash metal aesthetics that tracks like "This Disaster" and "At Least I Am Known for Something" utilize, as well as other various subgenres ("hardcore punk, synth-rock and emo-tinged ballads") throughout the track listing, concluding that "[T]he band's extra effort shows, giving its pop glory some newfound energy.

"[46] Robert Christgau graded the album as a "dud",[45] indicating "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought.

"[47] Writing for the Chicago Tribune, Blair R. Fischer criticized Jordan Pundik's vocal performance for getting "more irritating with every song.

[9] Philip Obenschain of Alternative Press said the album was a "nostalgic snapshot of a mid-career transition", which not only displayed what the group were capable of when under pressure, but also that "pop-punk could reach a broader radio and MTV audience without compromising its credibility".