Opinion
Senses Fail ‘Still Searching’ for good music in new album
October 26, 2006
In an ever-changing musical world, bands nowadays seem to think change is necessary for success. Don’t stick with the same sound -- people get bored. The sad thing is it’s true.
In a competition bracket from hell, bands compete day in and day out for die-hard fans -- ones they know will be there in the end, not the ones who plague MySpace pages with “Add Me!” exhaustedly until the character limit cracks.
Bands feel the pressure to change things up to keep them fresh and search for their own unique sound.
New Jersey’s own Senses Fail recently released its second full-length album, “Still Searching,” which is in stores everywhere and available for online purchase in the ever-expansive iTunes library.
It’s apparent that Senses Fail is indeed “Still Searching” for its breakout sound to go big with the likes of Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, or should I say radio popularity.
Fans of the screamo genre will be kept on the edge of their seats, for this record belts in and out with the oddly displaced screams and howls of lead singer Buddy Nielsen, distracting you from what has actually improved from prior albums.
Still Searching has a noticeable amount of enhanced guitar work throughout the album, some of which includes melodies and dual harmonies, making this album great.
But it’s too early for a verdict, with electronica to slow-tempo grooves for intros that honestly don’t fit the album. Once again too much change, not enough solidness. The album opens up with subtle, short songs that lack punch, like “The Rapture.”
The song is followed by a failure of delivery, a song with a knock-out intro, and a human pretty much exasperating for oxygen as he drowns, pleading for a song with mediocre lyrics.
Seemingly taking a style by another band in the screamo genre, Emery, the song “All the Best Cowboys” has a sick electronic intro and a solid blend of lyrical harmonies, mimicking guitars in sync with the intro, and a smooth fusion into the next album track.
Honestly, after seeing Senses Fail for one of my first shows at The Quest in Minneapolis, I thought this album was just a change to keep fans interested. After a sheer, lackluster sound at this year’s Warped Tour, I began to wonder why I liked Senses Fail.
It’s a good effort in my eyes, but overall nothing worth college students’ dollars, and as a fan of the band I was honestly disappointed, so I guess maybe next time Senses Fail.
Erik Wood is a student at UW-River Falls.