Senses Fail - Still Searching [review]

Ah, the festive season is well and truly upon us. As such, I thought I'd celebrate by...er...writing another review. How my life goes. The band in question today is Senses Fail. Now, Senses Fail have been one of my favourite bands for quite some time, which is remarkable seeing as I generally despise anything with a humorous accent (i.e. an American one). I remember the day I discovered this amazing band well. I was quite (quite?!) bored, so I typed 'fail' into Spotify. I have no social life , okay?! The results that fateful search returned were anything but 'fail'. Senses Fail are great :) (right, that's my mindless plug for the day over and done with).

But which one of their albums? Their debut, Let it Enfold You? Their incredible follow up album, Still Searching? Or perhaps the more mellow (by that I mean 'not-as-good') third album, Life is Not a Waiting Room? In the end, I opted for Still Searching. Don't ask why. I might review Let it Enfold You at some stage. If you're nice to me :P

^Some cheery album art for you. Crazy.

Right, so, this album opens with 'the Rapture'. it's an odd little beast, as it has NO RELATION WHATSOEVER to any of the other songs on the album. Hmm...

So, glazing over that odd little opener, the album starts at full pace, and does not slow down until the very end. The song which kicks it all off is Bonecrusher. Yes, they are emo, however did you guess? But good emo (oxymoron?), so stick with it. Great song. Simple, yet so awesomesauce. Hmm, I've never quite understood that word :S
Let's look at the urban dictionary definition for it... (do we have to?)

Definition: It's like applesauce, only made with awesomes.

I see...kinda. Anyway, moving on. After putting such a tune as that at the front of the album, I wondered how they might follow up such an incredible song. They decided to follow it up, fortunately, with something even better. Sick or Sane is it's name, PURE WIN is its (apostrophe? no apostrophe? ah, screw it) game. Je l'aime.

The next two tracks, Can't Be Saved and Calling All Cars are kind of like, musically speaking, cousins. Similar, yet somehow quite different. That analogy was somewhat crap. Never mind. They're both really good. As is Shark Attack, an in-your-face emo attack on your ears.

Track 7 on Still Searching (the imaginatively titled Still Searching) is every bit as obnoxious and noisy as its predecessor Shark Attack. Normally, for any other reviewer, this would be a bad thing. But here, it means that this song is GREAT, especially the screamy chanty bits (you'll see). I make my own damn rules :P

Track 8 is heavily reminiscent of Can't be Saved. They call it 'To All the Crowded Rooms'. I call it an awesome track. Especially when it breaks down at the end, surprisingly (or not) with some more screaming. :)

Lost and Found. (That's the next song on this album, by the way.) It's a tad whiny, at the start anyway. Then it goes good. Very good. An example of what Senses Fail can really do, when they're feeling mature that is. As usual, Buddy (yeah , that's his name. Poor guy.) delivers a strong vocal performance. I like it, in case you haven't already noticed.

Every Day is a Struggle. It opens a little crazily, but quickly turns into another classic tune. The chorus makes me happiful. The next track on here, the peculiarly entitled "All the Best Cowboys have Daddy Issues". Perhaps something I'd expect to hear on the soundtrack to Sonic the Hedgehog (speaking of which, all his games as of late are pure unadulterated pap. Remind me to review one sometime). It's another solid, maybe even great track. No complaints here :)

Just as all the best cowboys have daddy issues, all the best albums feature an instrumental or two. The instrumental on here is 'Negative Space'. It's just padding really, and follows nicely into the final song- The Priest and the Matador. It's about a guy who dies by lobbing himself from a church roof. Lovely. Have fun with that. A good song, nonetheless, and a nice way to end the album.

It's time for me to go now. Sorry. But first, I shall conclude. Yes, I shall! Yes! YES!!!!!!1!!!!!one!!!!!eleven!!!!!!
er...yes? So, anyway. Senses Fail are not revolutionary in any way. Nor should you pretend they are. However, you can't deny this album is great fun. Simply put, by this album. Please.

B+