Review Summary: Let it unfold you.
In 2019, Senses Fail re-recorded their first EP,
From the Depths of Dreams, seventeen years after its original release in 2002. The version of this EP that most Senses Fail fans are familiar with is the 2003 Drive-Thru Records re-release, which contained eight tracks total: the six original tracks, and the bonus tracks
Handguns and Second Chances and the acoustic version of
The Ground Folds. This 2019 re-recording also contains eight tracks, but with slight variation. The acoustic version of
The Ground Folds is omitted in place of the popular B-side
Bastard Son, which never made it to the re-released EP despite it being recorded around the same time.
Handguns and Second Chances is placed sixth on the EP (a bummer to me, as I always felt this was a strong closer even if it was a bonus track),
Bastard Son is seventh, and
One Eight Seven, which had always been intended as the EP's proper closer, is now such.
From the Depth of Dreams has always been known for its somber production, which highlighted the dark and somewhat angsty lyrical themes throughout. But while the production of this re-recorded version is obviously more clean, clear-cut, and expensive-sounding, I feel that little to none of the overall gloominess of the original EP is lost. Listening to the re-recording several times over made me realize that I had been – since discovering the EP around the time of
Let it Enfold You's release in 2004 – giving too much credit to the production, and not enough credit to the songwriting itself. The compositions, which had been written when the original members of Senses Fail were in their late teens and/or early twenties, are impressively impactful, whether it be the fast-paced riffing of
Free Fall Without a Parachute, or the darkly melodic strumming in
One Eight Seven. Along with Buddy's dismal lyrics ranging from losing loved ones to killing loved ones (the latter metaphorically, I hope), no change in production can hinder the sheer emotion that Senses Fail conveys through these songs, past
or present.
As for other major differences, there aren't a lot that I've perceived. Buddy has obviously improved as a vocalist over the last seventeen years; none of the original instrumentalists perform on the re-recording, but the newer members of the band did a great job of nailing pretty much every aspect of every song. Buddy changed a lyric on
Handguns and Second Chances from "I am not another stupid little teenage ***ing whore" to "I am not another stupid little teenage ***ing form". It's funny that he changed this lyric, but kept things like, "A 5 year old tried to stop me but I shot him through the head, and now he's dead" from
Free Fall Without a Parachute. The change is hardly noticeable when listening though, and
Handguns is still my favorite song on both versions of the EP, so it isn't any big deal.
As with any re-recording of any album or EP, one can either take the new and glossier version, or continue to revel in the glory of the original relic.
From the Depths of Dreams is no exception. Although I feel that a re-recording of this EP wasn't entirely necessary since the original is rather impeccable, I'm glad that the new version exists simply for the novelty of it. Unless you are one who is absolutely turned off by the idea of clean production, if you like the original From the Depths of Dreams, I don't see any reason why you wouldn't like the re-recording to nearly the same degree.
