Honest Without Losing An Ounce Of Integrity
Six years on and three albums in and still New Jersey’s Senses Fail are that band that you’ve kind of heard of but never really checked out. It’s criminal really, whilst bands like Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday and Atreyu have all gone on to have success both in the US and here in the UK, Senses Fail’s fan base remains confined to a secret little clique, those who’ve discovered the band have kept them close to their chests for fear of others discovering them, intent on keeping them a secret for as long as possible. But things are about to change.
Taking everything that worked on second album, ‘Still Searching’, Senses Fail have refused to get complacent, preferring instead to try and improve even more and in doing so ‘Life Is Not A Waiting Room’ melds post-hardcore effortlessly with touches of punk and a coating of emotional hardcore to dazzle all. From the sombre darkness of opener ‘Fireworks At Dawn’ that explodes with a rich chorus to smother all, ‘Life Is Not A Waiting Room’ continually expands, never pausing as the quartet’s brutally honest lyrics claw their way out of each line. Ripping you limb from limb, ‘Lungs Like Gallows’ is Senses Fail in all their visceral violent glory, as singer James ‘Buddy’ Nielson sneers and screams against the wailing screech of guitar riffs that escalate relentlessly before ‘Garden State’ attempts to soothe away the fears with an infectious blast of frantic guitars and incessant shout-out-loud vocals spun around feet tapping inducing beats that will not be ignored. But Senses Fail aren’t done with their catchy tunes yet; ‘Family Tradition’ boils with a colossal anthem grasping sound that erupts into an irresistible gang led chorus that rushes and buzzes with optimism to blow away any hint of moodiness. Undeniably the track of the album and guaranteed to have fists pounding the air as quickly as it has crowds uncontrollably singing along.
There’s more to ‘Life Is Not A waiting Room’ than merely some catchy tunes that thrash and flay at times though. At the core of the album is a harsh truth that literally hits you in the stomach, most notably on ‘Yellow Angels’, a song written by Nielson for an 18 year old terminally ill fan who he’d struck up a friendship with. Dealing with the subject of a terminal illness with an unflinching dose of honesty, Nielson brings death into the cold light of day with lyrics about not wanting to “...exist(ing) as a hollow house for bones” all tied neatly within a track that surprisingly offers a glimpse of hope from beneath the bleak lyrics. As moving and as heart wrenching as ‘Yellow Angels’ and ‘Four Years’ are though, Senses Fail refuse to leave the listener with a sense of anguish, preferring instead to provide an uplifting dose of uncompromised power drenched post hardcore. Sure, lyrically Nielson is still at his self reflective best, contemplating a failed relationship, but the band collectively instil a rush of cheer through the track that regardless of the subject matter, won’t leave you wading in the depths of despair.
‘Life Is Not A Waiting Room’ is not without its faults; its not necessarily genre changing but instead Senses Fail have taken their gift of big hooks sewn together with self-reflective lyrics and upped the ante with infectious riffs to tantalise. Honest without losing an ounce of integrity and catchy without veering down the pop-punk path, ‘Life Is Not A Waiting Room’ will introduce new fans to the New Jersey’s sound, hopefully steering them out of their contemporise shadows and into the light for all to enjoy.