Way back in the mists of time (okay, 10 years ago), I remember Sense Field being touted as The Next Big Rock Thing and torchbearers for a genre of music that combined punk aggression, pop sensibilities and heartfelt lyrics. They called it "emo". Well, fate can be a cruel dominatrix and as Sense Field struggled against record label shenanigans and personal tragedies, a copyist pack surged forward to success.

Perversely, now that emo is a byword for the ch-ching of cash registers, Sense Field have gone and all but abandoned it. I Refuse, taken from the recent Living Outside album, has as much in common with James as Jimmy Eat World with its British indie beat, Jon Bunch's silky smooth vocal, background strings and guitars that threaten to rock out but manage to stay polite.

Perhaps in order to underline their new musical stance they sing, "I refuse to fit inside this lame idea that you've always had for me. I don't want to be what you want me to be," in the chorus. And that chorus, by the way, is good enough to knock many lesser songs out of the playlists of any vaguely alternative radio station. This band deserves a chance. Will you give it to them?

Sense Field @ The Garage, London

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