Review by Nikki Steele
Man Overboard and Senses Fail’s split EP is sweet and salty for your ears, starting off with Man Overboard’s new song “One Fixed Point.” “One Fixed Point” is a true Man Overboard song with catchy lyrics, killer pop punk riffs, and an all together sound that makes you want to roll down your car windows and scream along.
After “One Fixed Point,” the EP slides into Man Overboard’s cover of Senses Fail’s song, “Cute When You Scream.” At first you start to wonder who it is covering the song. With the vocals being screamed, it is hard to pick up that it is Man Overboard, but once the song really gets going you can easily tell who it is. Man Overboard does an amazing job of not just covering Senses Fail’s track, but by changing their sound to fit the song better.
Next, it is Senses Fail’s turn to showcase a new song with “All You Need Is Already Within You.” The heavier guitars and faster pace is a step away from Man Overboard, but it is not a step you regret taking. The positive message in the song, “All you need is already within you,” accompanied with the music really does make you want to be a better you.
Following “All You Need Is Already Within You” is Senses Fail’s cover of a Man Overboard song, and they choose “Real Talk.” Similar to Man Overboard’s cover, when the beat starts, it sounds like the original song, but once the lyrics come in you don’t quite know who it is. Buddy Nielsen’s signature voice trying a more punk rock style completes the album. The harder version of the pop-punk song is something that the world is a better place having.
All in all, the EP is a success. Much of its greatness is due to both bands coming from different backgrounds, different styles and different genres of music. If this would have been two similar bands playing each other’s songs, it would have just felt like a waste of time, but the two bands adding different, but still a familiar, feel to the songs you were already a fan of is what makes this EP a success.
Rating: 4/5
Listen to “One Fixed Point”