Sense Field

Item: Living Outside
Author: Chaz Murphy

Living Outside

(2003)

Reviewed by Chaz Murphy

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Label Nettwerk AmericaDecapolisAugust 2003

alternative rock emo pop rock

For over a decade now Sense Field has been touring and making some of the best rock records around. Their first full length release, "Killed For Less" (revelation records), made a huge impression on the hardcore/emo scene and is one of my top twenty albums. Since that release they have put out a few ep's and another amazing full length, "Building" (Warner Bros. records). They have parted ways with Revelation Records and have gone on with Nettwerk America and they have added a more radio friendly/poppier sound.

It can be a risky thing for a band to drop their older style and upgrade to a more radio friendly style. You can be risking your fan base and credibility but also your careers. You could end up like Jimmy Eat World and have huge success or you could be like Shades Apart and fall flat on your face and become a huge laughing stock. I hope that Sense Field gets some of the popularity that JEW did. "Living Outside" is a very good album. I didn't know how I would like the whole pop transfusion but they did a great job in doing it. They still have the same old edge but have upgraded to a cleaner and professional sound. Their progression is in the right direction but record sales determine their success. I miss the old sound but the new sound isn't annoying or generic.

Maxim Magazine trashed this album and poked fun at their "pro-virginity" song Save Yourself. I give them my respect to have the sack to speak up against the popular culture mindset and to do it without any religious convictions is a rare and positive thing to do but I guess the people at Maxim didn't do their homework because the song Save Yourself is on their previous album "Tonight and Forever". With "Living Outside" you will get positive lyrics, great vocals, a great pop-rock record said to be a mix between the Foo Fighters and Jimmy Eat World and you will also get well produced album.

B+