Renacer
Staple Records
Producer: Shaun Lopez
Score:6 out of 10
Renacer (Spanish for “to be reborn”) is a fitting title. In 2004 Senses Fail hit the emo scene so quick, listeners thought it familiar. As members came and went, the tunes became poppier with lyrically melodramatic choruses over shredding solos. After the departure of longtime guitarist/key songwriter Garrett Zablocki, Buddy Nielsen and company have now replaced usual SF producer Brian McTernan on this record, and it shows. Thick chugs paired with uplifting lyrics—ironically similar to early Christian hardcore—simply fall flat. However, the effort is apparent—like in the Spanish spoken, “Mi Amor.” The vision is there, but is outweighed by bland guitars, awkward falsettos and an all-around “side project” feel.
—Andy Mesecher
