Sense Field Review

Review of Killed for Less

by CMJ

Sense Field is a difficult band to put a finger on: Although it's from California (Redondo Beach, for that matter) and obviously knows a thing or two about its place in the punk/hardcore stratum, the band refuses to play by any of its regionally or categorically imposed rules. For starters, the singer rarely breaks into anything resembling a scream or even a gruff voice, instead relying on an atypically smooth, melodic tone to give each song its emotional weight. And while the band's back pocket is stuffed with enough power chords and meaty rhythmic textures to feed any sizable hardcore fan for at least a few days, Killed For Less is forged as much from grand rock gestures as it is slippery mosh pits. Fragments of Cheap Trick, or even (gasp!) early Queen find their way into the mix at certain points, most notably with the inclusion of acoustic guitar and carefully drawn vocal harmonies. Even the album's production is particularly unpunk rock, polishing melodies and textures to their highest gleam possible. Of the album's 14 tunes, "Papercut," "Killed For Less," "One From The Other Side" and "Sage" should satisfy the hidden rock fan in most diehard listeners.

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