Tonight and Forever

Sense Field's fourth album, Tonight and Forever, almost didn't see the light of day. The band struggled with major-label contractual battles, creative frustration, and personal shifts inside the band over the prior five years; however, those early days of twist and tussle provided the melodic yet rollicking nature of Sense Field's brightest release to date. Tonight and Forever is a brave effort, something that confidently introduces strict textures and lyrical smarts, but nothing short of crisp acoustics, glossy riffs, and punk rock emotion found in acts like Jimmy Eat World and Sunny Day Real Estate. Frontman Jon Bunch projects light vocals, which are inviting in the nature of the album's personal pictures, and nearly howl over Rob Pfeiffer's crashing percussion. "What Never Dies" and "Am I Fool" both dissect love's bittersweet tone for something more desirable and the passionate comprehensiveness of Slowdive, while "Waiting for Someone" and "Fun Never Ends" capture post-punk manners. It's the heavy soundscapes of personal decision that examine the depths of what Sense Field is wishing to cover. Sense Field isn't shy about confrontation. They lived it during the late '90s, because they believed in what they were doing despite industry politics. Music was their excitement. Tonight and Forever showcases such maturation and an honesty that is refreshing inside mainstream modern rock.