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
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
bands are known for.
Screamo
, theoretically, is meant to serve as a bridge between
and
emo
; some
units have a metallic urgency and end up sounding more
than
, whereas with
, it's just the opposite --
is really an
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
wouldn't be radically different from
Jimmy Eat World
,
Good Charlotte
or
the Promise Ring
. Of course, there are numerous other
bands doing this type of thing -- bands that favor an
blend and end up sounding a lot more
. And on
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
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"
"Rum Is for Drinking, Not for Burning."
Neither the best nor the worst that
has to offer, this CD isn't remarkable but is a generally competent, if derivative, effort from the New Jersey outfit. [Initial pressings of
contained a bonus DVD.] ~ Alex Henderson