Sonafield

Remember when Our Lady Peace didn’t suck? Before they started writing ultra-polished, ultra-radio-friendly songs that my mother likes and Raine Maida started acting like he’s some sort of spiritual guru, OLP were all about forceful, propulsive drumming, razor sharp but melodic guitars, slinky bass lines and evocative, if slightly whiny, vocals. Take that recipe, add a healthy dose of Incubus wank and you’ve got Sonafield. This Seattle band still have a ways to go in terms of finding actually melodies, mostly relying on their instrumental prowess and Jason Lackie’s capable vocal acrobatics, but most of these songs will get your head bopping and your fist pumping. Occasionally, the band slips into tuneless post-grunge sludge but the agile rhythms and some impressive guitar solos keep Sonafield from becoming another crappy nu-metal act.