Senses Fail Albums (3)
'Life Is Not a Waiting Room'
Release Date 10/6/2008
Tracks 12
Label Vagrant
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Senses Fail continue to explore the three-way intersection between post-hardcore, screamo, and punk-pop with their third LP. Musically and lyrically, Life Is Not a Waiting Room furthers the dichotomies that helped fuel the band's previous work: heaven and hell, muscle and melody, depression and emotional uplift. There's also a good deal of harmony here, from the dual guitar solos of Garrett Zablocki and Heath Saraceno to the band's use of vocal harmonies. While Senses Fail have always resisted the urge to tone down their hardcore tendencies in favor of a more commercial approach, Life Is Not a Waiting Room still features some surprisingly melodic moments, from "Yellow Angels" -- a ballad that concludes with fist-pumping gang vocals -- to the anthemic "Garden State." The band draws parallels to Further Seems Forever during such moments, where they flaunt their pop-inflected songwriting skills without losing the might that fuels the group's harder songs. Longtime listeners can rest assured that those harder songs haven't been left behind, as tracks like "Lungs Like Gallows" and "Wolves at the Door" find room for rusty-throated screams and double kickdrum thunder. Nonetheless, the band shows the bulk of its growth when melody is emphasized. ~ Andrew Leahey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The year 2006 found many of Senses Fail's pals taking decisive steps toward transformation. As the genre became clogged past its breaking point, everyone involved suddenly wanted to break free from an emo/screamo tag by altering their sonic approach. Consequently, it's a bit surprising that for their sophomore effort, Senses Fail has instead embraced the original sound that gained them attention in the first place; it's even more unexpected considering guitarist Heath Saraceno (of Midtown fame) is now counted in their ranks, since his experience could have easily taken the guys in a totally new direction. But this decision absolutely works out for them. Still Searching is like 2004's Let It Enfold You, but two years older -- tighter, fuller, and more honest. The focus here is more on tense emo rock with a hard pop edge than scream-bloody-murder screamo -- since there is less emphasis on screaming -- yet the music remains wholly Senses Fail. Fans will appreciate the band's rejection of a drastic makeover to instead to churn out a hugely solid set of songs blasted with fist-pumping choruses, crashing dynamics, swirling guitars, and gang vocals galore. And thankfully, the guttural shrieks are more purposefully integrated and less like crutches to fall back on. There's no denying the strength of bigger tracks like "Can't Be Saved" (though it resembles 2004's "Buried a Lie") and the invigorating title track, the latter relying heavily on rousing gang vocals, while the anguished yet calming suicide leap of "The Priest and the Matador" brings Buddy Nielsen's vulnerability to the forefront. Nielsen's lyrics are distraught throughout, but instead of killing exes (there are surprisingly few breakup songs this time around), he explores the personal. Suffering from severe anxiety surrounding this record, his agitated words overwhelmingly explore ideas of self-doubt, loss of faith, and disillusionment, to the point that when he sings "My life is better than it ever was" on "To All the Crowded Rooms," it's hard to tell if he's making a statement or trying to convince himself of such. Despite being one of its scene's bigger names, Senses Fail has still always been pretty interchangeable with the rest. But seeing as Still Searching is much stronger an album than their successful 2004 debut, it really has the potential to finally help Senses Fail stand heads above the pack if only for staying true to what it is they do best. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The screamo/melodic hardcore/post-hardcore field was undeniably crowded at the end of the '90s, and it became even more crowded in the early 2000s -- a time that saw the rise of countless screamo bands in the United States. One of them was Senses Fail, whose first full-length album, Let It Enfold You, is full of the swirling guitars, introspective lyrics and clean vocals/screaming vocals contrast that screamo bands are known for. Screamo, theoretically, is meant to serve as a bridge between hardcore and emo; some screamo units have a metallic urgency and end up sounding more hardcore than emo, whereas with Senses Fail, it's just the opposite -- Let It Enfold You is really an emo disc that incorporates some screaming. The clean vocals definitely have the upper hand, and these New Jersey residents are consistently pop-minded. Take away the screaming vocals, and Senses Fail wouldn't be radically different from Jimmy Eat World, Good Charlotte or the Promise Ring. Of course, there are numerous other screamo bands doing this type of thing -- bands that favor an emo/hardcore blend and end up sounding a lot more emo than hardcore. And on Let It Enfold You, Senses Fail doesn't bring anything new or different to the table; originality isn't a high priority on this album. Nonetheless, most of their material is catchy enough ("Lady in a Blue Dress" is arguably the CD's best song), and Senses Fail does have a knack for coming up with intriguing song titles -- for example, "The Irony of Dying on Your Birthday," "NJ Falls Into the Atlantic" and "Rum Is for Drinking, Not for Burning." Neither the best nor the worst that screamo has to offer, this CD isn't remarkable but is a generally competent, if derivative, effort from the New Jersey outfit. [Initial pressings of Let It Enfold You contained a bonus DVD.] ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
