Senses Fail have been producing incredible post-hardcore records for around 15 years now and decided to foray into the acoustic world. We had a listen to their first acoustic EP In Your Absence which is set for release on March 5, 2017.
Opening track Jets To Peru is not really a strong track to open with. While it is catchy for an acoustic track, I don’t think it complements the vocalist well and the constant rhyming doesn’t work for me. Title track In Your Absence’s long introduction creates a bit of an atmosphere and the lyrics cut deep straight away. It sounds better than the opening track and there is less of the consistent rhyming. Death Bed is the strongest track on the EP as it suits the vocals so much better than its predecessors. Family Tradition talks about family life and problems and is something that is quite relatable to people who have absent parents. Closing track Lost and Found is a beautiful acoustic ballad.
It’s quite a mixed record for me personally, I don’t think that the vocals really suit an acoustic record, however, as the tracks go on, they get better and fit more with the acoustic feel. Lyrically, each track is very deep. It’s a pretty decent attempt at a first acoustic record from the post-hardcore legends, however, I have to say that I do prefer their heavier stuff musically.