With the 2009 release of their debut full length “The Last Thing You Forget” the aptly named Title Fight became something of a minor overnight sensation. The 12 tracks of moody, energetic punk with subtle but essential tinges of classic emo angst firmly established them as the heavyweight champions of their particular brand of pop-punk; the alternately gruff and melodic hardcore- influenced kind that sets the Punknews affiliated blogosphere on fire and regularly packs out sweaty small to mid-level venues on the toilet circuit with a couple hundred guys a night engaged in a non-stop circuit of stagediving.
With each subsequent release the band have gradually traded the high energy power chords and bouncy pop hooks for atmospheric, mid-tempo plodders which, at least tonally, bear more of a resemblance to the moodier members of the UK’s Alternative Rock scene of the early 90’s (see Catherine Wheel’s Chrome for a prime example). Their latest LP, Hyperview, is the logical result of this sonic evolution but the result is a mixed bag that stirs up conflicting responses over the course of its 10 track, half hour run time.
the track’s title is an apt allusion to and pre-emptive defence against the inevitable cries of “their older stuff was better”
Like all good opening tracks, Murder Your Memory kicks things off by setting the tone for the entire record and providing something of a mission statement. Whether intentionally or not, the track’s title is an apt allusion to and pre-emptive defence against the inevitable cries of “their older stuff was better” that have plagued every punk band that ever tried to step outside of their initial 3-chord comfort zone.
In a similar vein ‘Dizzy’, the longest song on Hyperview at a little over 4 minutes, is a slow, hypnotic beauty of a track that swirls and floats with an excess of flange and deep bassy warmth. Bass player and Vocalist Ned Russin abandons the throaty punk-rock rasp of their earlier work in favour of a deep croon highly reminiscent of Catherine Wheel’s Rob Dickinson.
‘New Vision’ manages to successfully blend the brooding atmospherics of their new sound with the energy and tempo and past glories
Up until this point you’d be forgiven for expecting Hyperview to be something of a dirge but, although it is for the most part significantly less raw and exciting than the likes of The Last Thing You Forget or even Shed, there are still occasional glimmers of Title Fight’s punk roots. ‘Trace Me Onto You’ kicks off with a driving, upbeat intro section and album closer ‘New Vision’ manages to successfully blend the brooding atmospherics of their new sound with the energy and tempo and past glories into a dreamy yet rousing piece of punk inspired shoegaze that beautifully sums up what the band is all about.
When examined in the broader context of the current Punk/Emo Revival scene of which Title Fight are a part, Hyperview is in keeping with a trend within the genre towards the fuzzy, noisy shoegaze sound that arose from the pre-Britpop UK Indie scene in the late 80s/early 90s.
As well as a slew of new bands (Yuck, Kagoule etc.) whose sound has always been a consciously progressive combination of the grungy Alt. Rock and melodic dream pop of the 90s, there appears to be a minor movement towards a similar sound by a small but significant group of punk bands from across the pond and at home.
it’s a genuine treat to hear so many great bands rejuvenating and expanding upon such an unfortunately short-lived genre
From Nai Harvest’s shift from straightforward twinkly revivalist emo to dreamy fuzz laden grunge-pop directly inspired by Ride, to The Sidekicks’ new record’s heavy Britpop influenced style after a decade of pop-punkery, it’s a genuine treat to hear so many great bands rejuvenating and expanding upon such an unfortunately short-lived genre (Shoegaze was all but destroyed by the emergence of Oasis and the daft Britpop wars that followed) and with Hyperview Title Fight have proven that not only have they still got the goods after 10 years and 4 records, but that they can continue to evolve and excite despite mellowing with age
Imperfect and at times veering dangerously close to being sleepily low-key, Hyperview is nonetheless an engaging album deserving of at least a handful of listens, especially for fans of 90s alternative nostalgia or punk with an ethereal edge.
7/10
Bradley Finney
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