I’m sure many of us have a memory or two surrounding Let It Enfold You, the debut full-length record from the emo band Senses Fail. The memories we tie to music releases can get a little hazy over time, much less after 20 years. My best recollection of the release of Let It Enfold You was a combination of confusion, a whole lot of scene hype, and plenty of coverage in Alternative Press magazine. The confusion came in the form of Let It Enfold You being in record label limbo for quite some time, after Geffen Records (whom had absorbed Drive-Thru) lost interest in putting out the album, and Senses Fail deciding to leak the record after the trouble of finding a home for it. Vagrant Records eventually stepped up to the plate, and the hype behind this emo band steamrolled them to selling over 600,000 copies in the U.S. The album was frequently in the “Reader’s List” of top trending albums on Alt Press, while the band still was getting mixed reviews from most outlets unsure of where to best place the music that Senses Fail had created here. Let It Enfold You achieved commercial success, mostly by word of mouth, as Vagrant would only officially release two singles from the set in “Buried A Lie” and “Rum Is For Drinking, Not For Burning.” Senses Fail would cement their status as screamo heavyweights on their subsequent releases and showcase their staying power in the genre.
The set was produced by Steve Evetts (Poison the Well, The Wonder Years) and he does a nice job of accentuating the strengths of the band on this record. Recorded nearly a full year before it be released to the public, Let It Enfold You almost didn’t include it’s two trademark singles on the disc. Geffen Records had been wanting the band to “craft a hit,” to which the band didn’t take too well, as they weren’t interested in releasing radio-ready material at this stage of their careers. Nonetheless, “Buried A Lie” would be the first single to be released once Vagrant took the reins of the album, and it highlighted a slightly more mature, and pop-leaning sound to Senses Fail that was largely absent on their From The Depths of Dreams EP. The track would be released on February 8, 2005 as the record was quickly gaining sales momentum after its “quiet” release in September of 2004.
Besides the singles that were released from the set, Let It Enfold You feels a bit formulaic in its approach of adding in screams to the end of lyrical verses, while captivating vocalist Buddy Nielsen made sure to make the most of his spots. The dual-guitar attack from Dave Miller and Garrett Zablocki complemented Nielsen well, while the rhythm section of bassist Mike Glita and drummer Dan Trapp rounded out the band’s attack. “Tie Her Down” is a decent opener, even if the tongue-in-cheek lyrics are a bit distracting from the overall delivery. Crowd favorites like “Lady In A Blue Dress” and “You’re Cute When You Scream” I vividly remember going off in the live setting, while reflective songs like “Slow Dance” and the title track would give subtle hints as to where Senses Fail would take their sound next on Still Searching and Life Is Not a Waiting Room.
The things that were undeniable in this band’s ascent were their charisma, understanding of the emo scene, and finding a way to incorporate the best parts of the genre into a scene-defining mix of songs that play out effortlessly from start to finish. While Let It Enfold You is not my favorite release from the band, listening back to these songs brings up a flood of memories of an exciting time in the genre, and it’s clear to see why this record connected with so many fans.