Carly Wedding | Feburary 13, 2015

With that being said, I can’t get into Man Overboard’s original contribution to this split, “One Fixed Point.” Sadly, I haven’t been able to get into anything they’ve released since The Human Highlight Reel, and it makes me sad. Man Overboard was such a huge part of my life for a good three years, and I hate feeling like they’re just a distant memory. Compared to other bands dominating the pop punk scene, I don’t feel like Man Overboard has matured much since forming in 2008. If I didn’t know this song was released in 2015, you could tell me it’s a re-worked version of a demo scrapped from Real Talk and I’d believe it. Their lyricism hasn’t seemed to change much at all since Hung Up On Nothing; “One Fixed Point” is, believe it or not, about a troublesome relationship. Instrumentally, I date this track somewhere between their self-titled and Heart Attack. It just lacks the hooks that songs like “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To” and “She’s Got Her Own Man Now” have, or maybe I just don’t notice them as much anymore. My taste in music has matured a lot since I was a high school senior. But I respect the band for doing their thing; they’re making songs they enjoy, and other people like them as well. I’ll always support the band, even if I don’t care for their music.

 

Other than Let It Enfold You (I could kick myself for not going to the anniversary tour), I’ve never been a diehard Senses Fail fan. I’ve listened to a few of their more recent songs here and there, but nothing too serious. Therefore, I don’t know what they’ve been up to lately. “All You Need Is Already Within You” is a lot heavier than tracks from Let It Enfold You, but that’s not surprising considering there’s a good ten year difference between those releases. It has a lot of hardcore elements in it – shouted gang vocals, breakdowns, and heavy guitars – so it’s definitely appealing to fans of the hardcore revival. It’s not a bad song by any means; there’s a reason Senses Fail have stayed relevant for almost fifteen years. They’ve definitely matured with every release (I’ve listened to enough of their music to say this), which is healthy for a band to do; I just prefer their catchier, more melodic songs, like “The Ground Folds” and “Angela Baker and My Obsession with Fire.” This song will probably grow on me, and I’ll probably listen to it as my road rage kicks in driving on Route 301, but I can’t see myself listening to this while I’m trying to study.

 

The cover songs, on the other hand, are worth a listen. They sound like what you would expect, but it’s not bad. I wish they had covered less popular songs, but the Rolling Stones have beat the idea that you can’t always get what you want into my head. Man Overboard’s take on “You’re Cute When You Scream” is funny, but in a good way. It’s funny like, “Damn, so this is what they would sound like if they were a heavy band.” I think they pull it off quite well, though. The clean vocals sound a lot like Buddy Nielsen’s on the From the Depths of Dreams EP, and the screams don’t sound awkwardly forced. Senses Fail’s cover of “Real Talk” isn’t bad, either. They definitely made it their own song.

 

Going into this split with no expectations made it easier for me to accept that it’s pretty average. If you’re a casual listener of either band, your heart will go on if you never hear it. If you’re a diehard fan, you’ll probably want to listen to it. Overall, I think Senses Fail’s contributions are more enjoyable, but if you’re one of the people who have “defend pop punk” in your Twitter bio, you’ll want to hear Man Overboard’s side, too. But if you want to get into either band, I don’t recommend starting out with this split; listen to any Senses Fail LP or anything released by Man Overboard before The Human Highlight Reel if you really want to know what they’re about. Regardless, both bands are very good at what they do, and I don’t foresee them quitting the music industry anytime soon.

 

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t an avid Man Overboard fan in high school, because, well, I was. In fact, my first “big concert” without any authority figures present was the Pop Punk’s Not Dead Tour. I convinced my friends Brad and Jonny to take me to see what I thought was the most epic lineup ever: New Found Glory, This Time Next Year, The Wonder Years, Man Overboard, and Set Your Goals. Little did I know that one day I would get to see Modern Baseball, Sorority Noise, The Hotelier, Tiny Moving Parts, and Thanks (RIP Virginia Beach punks) all in one night. Regardless, it was a very exciting moment for 16-year-old me.