Senses Fail has always been one of those bands that has continually impressed me over the years. Although they have never been a band that I’ve followed all that closely, I’ve always been intrigued by their releases and have often wanted to dive deeper into their large catalog of songs. They definitely stand above as one of the pioneers of the Post-Hardcore/Emo movement and I still to this day love jamming classics like ‘Stretch Your Legs to Coffin Length’, ‘Rum is For Drinking, Not for Burning’, and ‘Can’t Be Saved’. 

The Ridgewood, NJ-based outfit is still chugging along 15 years after their debut release with their latest effort From the Depths of Dreams. Though the album only spans eight tracks, the band makes every single song count with a strong effort that packs a punch throughout. One of the most interesting draws to this album is that it is actually a re-recording (or re-imagined) version of their 2003 EP of the same name. It’s really awesome to see a longstanding band in the scene go back and bring some of their first songs back to life for new audiences to enjoy. In the words of lead singer Buddy Nielsen, 

“This re-recording is not to replace what was but to add to the legacy of the songs and show them in a modern light. We haven’t played a lot of these songs for our fans and this release gives us the opportunity to highlight an era of Senses Fail that many of our fans didn’t get a chance to see.”

From top to bottom, this album feels very well put together and thought out. It naturally ebbs and flows with a well-suited cadence and keeps you locked in the whole time. From the opening track ‘Steven’ to the closing number ‘One Eight Seven’, you feel the energy the band put into this album and it’s pretty impressive to see them still bringing it as they did back in the mid-late 2000’s.

I think one of the biggest strengths of this album is how nostalgic it feels. These tracks honestly sound like they could’ve been on Still Searching or Life is Not a Waiting Room and I mean that in the best way possible. That’s obviously because these songs are from the beginning of Senses Fail, however, this collection of songs doesn’t sound like a band desperately clinging onto any semblance of their original sound. This sounds like a mature group that can still effectively channel that youthful energy into a well-rounded set of songs.  

Lead singer Buddy Nielsen sounds so dialed in on this record and alternates tastefully between soaring cleans and emotional screams. Nielsen is a vet in the scene and he really flexes his muscles here on this record with his overall vocal performance. If I had to pick apart anything, I think some of the lyrics don’t quite stick the landing and come off a little too “youthful”, but Nielsen is still an extremely solid lyricist who puts a lot of emotion into his writing and you can feel that in every line. His gusto makes you want to sing along with every word and there are a lot of catchy hooks on this release. 

The instrumentals are one of this record’s biggest strengths. The production is so solid and gives each instrument room to breathe. The drums are tight and there are some really great fills throughout that add some tasty flavor. There are some real punchy guitar riffs here as well that help carry the energy of this record from beginning to end. Not to be left out, the bass provides a solid backbone that keeps the train moving and doesn’t just hide behind the other instruments. I really enjoy the momentum changes on this record as the band can go from quick punk-style choruses to chugging breaks in a matter of seconds. Those changes keep you guessing and hanging onto each moment. 

As a whole, I was really impressed by From the Depths of Dreams. It feels so much like a classic Senses Fail album and that sense of nostalgia really gives this album a solid foundation to stand on. The band has a ton of energy on this release and I can very easily see these songs translating to a live setting. This album will make older fans extremely happy and also present a great picture to newer fans of how influential this band was/is to so many modern bands in the scene. I don’t have many complaints about this record, however, I will say that a couple of songs on here are too similar to one another and can blend together. There are also a couple of moments where you can feel how old these songs actually are. These moments feel a bit dated, no matter how much new production you put into it. However, that’s not a huge issue as each song has a lot of energy and care behind it, which helps drive the album home. There aren’t a ton of bands that can hang around for as long and still kill it with each release so for that I say kudos to them and go listen to this record.