One of our favorite New Jersey bands released a new song last week and it’ll take you back to their early days. That’s right, Senses Fail are in the process of getting their fans (and the world) ready to hear their new album, If There Is Light, It Will Find You.
It is hard to believe that this will be the band’s first full length studio album since 2015, but it is even harder to believe that If There Is Light, It Will Find You is going to be their seventh full-length studio album; and not just because they have been a part of the music scene and people’s lives for so long, but because their newest single sounds reminiscent of the band’s early days as a small, up and coming, Ridgewood-based emo band.
The new track is titled “New Jersey Makes, The World Takes,” and it’s a bit of a rollercoaster. It’s melody driven, considerably pop punk, but still reaches into their metalcore roots throughout. As you listen and sing along, you can hear hints of that Jimmy Eat World influence that Buddy Nielsen has always touted as one of the group’s main inspirations.
That being said, the lyrics are much darker and deeper than you may think. Lyrics such as, “’Cause I’ve lost so many to the bottle, to the needle/I can’t take another funeral,” help depict the dreary, yet honest scene that Nielsen is portraying through his lyrics. It’s a powerful song that documents the people in his life he has lost to addiction, his own battle with it, as well as the support that is needed for those who know someone who has gone down the treacherous path.
“I’m not giving up today, no/Everyone I love, everyone I love is still in pain,” the song closes on this note and it’s hard to decipher the strength behind the meaningful lyrics amid the almost cheerful sound, but a true fan will. Overall, the song is upbeat and slightly poppy with a melody that truly does make you want to be in a mosh pit with all your friends at a Senses Fail concert. There is an evident rush of nostalgia and adrenaline upon listening to Nielsen’s voice in this new song, but I welcome it with open arms. The old times are back again, and so is that Senses Fail sound that everyone fell in love with over 15 years ago.
Listen to “New Jersey Makes, The World Takes” below.
