"Still Searching"
CD, Vagrant Records, October, 10 2006
New Jersey's Senses Fail seem to be moving fast forward in their maturation on "Still Searching". These 13 tracks find them more an Emo band than a Screamo band. Now, throwing a band into either category is like zooming out from a close up of one person to viewing a crowd of 100,000 packed into the stadium to watch a Penn State football game. Just being Screamo or Emo doesn't mean anything with the quantity of choices that are out there today. Senses Fail succeed by incorporating a level of song writing beyond "my friend double crossed me" or "the time I spent with that girl was a waste" emo. They still challenge life's emotions along with dealing with disillusionment, faith, love and death, but they do it in a manner that left me saying, "that was cool". It takes a lot for me to say that about lyrics. The first track "The Rapture" is about as focused and hardcore a statement on someone's faith (or lack thereof) as anyone can make. The chorus of "I'm stuck in this coma" from "Can't Be Saved' will not leave my head. Vocally, they mostly stick to singing, and Buddy has a great voice for the emo/alternative rock genre. Where they fail, is when for old times sake, they bring the screamo in on tracks like "Sick or Sane" or the title track. Of course, the fans of that style will say these are the best songs and that Senses Fail don't scream enough (even though they obviously do use the now mandatory though much overused vocal style)! Oh yes, such are the judgments when one matures and evolves. Although, I do have to admit I find the screamo appropriate on "Shark Attack", especially with the ripping guitar part. I have always been a very selective emo fan (partial to older bands like Rites of Spring, Lifetime, Samiam etc..), as I have felt that much of the genre lacks heart, but I feel "Still Searching" is worth zooming in on...
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