No old school pop-punk, emo, or post-hardcore band can release a new album without comparisons to their first record— the one which most likely put them on the scene’s radar. This is certainly true for Senses Fail. Neither of the band’s two releases could match Let It Enfold You, but finally, Senses Fail has prevailed with The Fire.
 
The title track of The Fire proves to be one of the best songs Senses Fail have ever recorded as heavy guitar and drum parts keep steady pace in anticipation of Buddy Nielson screaming, “I’m finding new ways to make the same mistake
// Putting my dreams on to paper and then folding them into planes
// Then I left them go because when in Rome
// I set fire to what I love the most.”
 
From the first song on, it is evident that Buddy has made significant leaps in both his lyrical content and vocal abilities. Tracks like “Landslide“ and “Headed West” are perfect examples of Buddy shinning with melodies that would have previously been questioned as too much of a leap for his vocal range. “Headed West” begins with the classic Senses Fail octave riff while Buddy butts in and sings, “The rearview mirror reminds me the future’s passing presently.”’
 
The bright spot on The Fire is undoubtedly the screaming.The Fire makes Buddy’s yelps on Let It Enfold You sound embarrassing. “New Year’s Eve” shows the ability of Senses Fail to combine quick changes from clean vocals to screams while maintaining their composure and they end up delivering one of the album’s best. “Lifeboats” will prove to be a fan favorite as clean vocals are in the minority and Buddy delivers one of his best performances to date.
 
“Safe House,” “Coward,” and “Nero” are the weakest of eleven on The Fire, but are certainly not a displeasure to listen to; they just don’t compare to the rest of the album.
 
Senses Fail never reinvent the wheel with any of their releases. Though this is usually something people scrutinize in other bands, it’s okay for Senses Fail because they keep it fresh without ruining their sound. You either can accept it and love it or hate it and dismiss it, but The Fire is in every way better than any scrap of material the band has ever released.
 
****/*****