Review Summary: Senses Fail continues to improve, bringing us their best album yet.
Senses Fail has been a rising force in the world of post-hardcore the last 4-6 years. They have always been relatively heavy, while keeping that poppy(I don't like to say it), catchy kind of vibe. For some they're not heavy enough to be considered post-hardcore, but with the rough vocals and hard-hitting guitars they must be placed among the post-hardcore family. 'Let It Enfold You' is closer to pop-punk than any of their other albums. Since I'm a long time Senses Fail fan, I can happily say this is their best work to date. Even without former lead guitarist Heath Saraceno they are still going strong. Heath was a big part of the band, contributing to vocals as well as writing most of the guitar riffs. He's even a better vocalist than Buddy, a feat not hard to accomplish but still. So surprising to me they didn't get any worse, nor any better. Gone is the guitar solo's, but that didn't really suit their sound to be honest. The guitar work on the album is still strong, with Garrett Zablocki writing all the guitar parts. Standout guitar moments can be heard on 'The Fire', 'New Year's Eve' and 'Coward'. To the songs:
1. The Fire - The opener turns out to be the best song on the album, or even their best yet. The lyrics being a standout and very improved. The chorus sounds catchy enough to make your grandfather sing along. "Its okay to feel lost, it just means your alive", Buddy sings encouragingly. At the end Buddy let's rip with the line:"I just want to feel alive!". A classic Senses Fail song. 5/5
2. Saint Anthony - One of the more lighter songs on the album, and surely one of the most forgettable. There's yet another catchy chorus, but it's not enough to save the song. 3/5
3. New Year's Eve - Along with 'Lifeboats' one of the heaviest songs they have done. It starts off with a simple guitar riff, and suddenly explodes with screaming vocals. They tone it down in the chorus, and there's a pounding riff near the end. 4/5
4. Safe House - One of the catchiest songs on the album, with some nice lyrics throughout the song. Some standout lines include:"I'm always planning for the worst, I signed my will right after birth, I got my eulogy rehearsed", "The vultures circle overhead, hanging like halo's for the dead, but I'm not suited for one yet". All in all a great song. 4.5/5
5. Coward - The beginning sounds a bit like 'Lungs Like Gallows', but not enough to call it a rip-off. The chorus is a bit of a let down, but the second verse makes up for it. With an excellent riff and Buddy yelling out in anger. Near the end there's a breakdown, with Buddy crying out in desperation:"Jesus Christ, look what you've done!". An obvious reference towards his father. 4.5/5
6. Landslide - This one follows in the same vein as 'Can't Be Saved'. With catchy vocals and a repeated low register guitar line. The chorus being one of the best on the album. At 2:05 there's a really enjoyable dual guitar riff. Great song. 4.5/5
7. Headed West - Simple but catchy. A good chorus with the line:"I'm headed west, to try and test my bravery". This one is more of a pop-punk song than anything else. Still a very solid song. 4/5
8. Lifeboats - This one will get you out of your chair for sure, it features some angry screaming and lyrics of anger and regret. It's very personal stuff like most of the songs. "What do you do when you've got nothing left, give up give up, and hope for the best!". 3.5/5
9. Nero - The most poppy song on 'The Fire', it's starts kinda slow and then suddenly kicks into gear. Fun song to sing along to, probably the closest they will come to pop-punk. 4/5
10 Irish Eyes - Another song about his drinking problems, kinda boring. Surely the most average on the album along with 'Saint Anthony'. 2.5/5
11. Hold On - This is what a closer should sound like. Buddy sounds at his best on here, with a memorable chorus that will stick in your head for days after listening to it. There's even a guitar solo near the middle of the song. Epic song. 5/5
'The Fire' was a huge surprise to me, an album that I didn't expect Senses Fail to make. This only spells positive things for the band's future, long may you live on.
