Title Fight Hyperview Album Review (Click here to stream) ANTI- Records Released February 3, 2015 Genre: Indie Rock, Shoegaze, Punk (not too much) Progression can be a great or terrible thing. For Title Fight on their third LP Hyperview, progression is a step sideways.
The transition from melodic punk to dreamier-sounding territory has been noted throughout the band’s recent output (Floral Green and then Spring Songs). While this new record meets some of the good expectations from Spring Songs, odd production choices and a number of boring songs bring this record away from greatness. Title Fight achieve a sense of spaciness with loud and bright reverberating guitars that are often affected by flanger and phaser effects.
The tones and flavors on Hyperview for these guitar sounds are pleasant, but they drown out the drums and vocals for much of the album, which are muttered for most of the record. The problem with so much emphasis being on the guitars is that some of the riffs aren’t engaging in the slightest. The last four tracks are pretty forgettable because of too much reliance on one riff (“Dizzy”) or too many riffs that sound the exact same (“Trace Me Onto You” and “New Vision”). This gives the album a detached vibe for many of the songs. “Detached” isn’t bad, but boring is. The drums can’t propel any energy into the song, and the vocals are already borderline mutters.
This does work, however, for the first track (“Murder Your Memory,” which has an intoxicating riff to justify the production choices) and “Your Pain is Mine Now,” which is a beautifully melancholic track. There are a few more great tracks amidst the mediocre tracks besides the aforementioned two standouts, like the song “Rose of Sharon,” which channels the aggression that made past Title Fight outputs so great. Furious drum fills and loud yells and bass grooves mix well into this song, commanding the listener to pick out what’s going on with each sound. “Mrahc” has a very interesting chorus, with a very tasteful chord progression thrown in. Fans of Title Fight’s old material will be divided by this album, as it’s even further down a different path than their past projects. It has ups, but the downs disappoint so much.
In all, Hyperview is a surprising release; despite the divisive reactions it will cause, Title Fight has flexed their muscles in a new territory leaving their future material capable of going in so many directions.
FAV TRACKS: Murder Your Memory, Mrahc, Your Pain Is Mine Now, Rose of Sharon
LEAST FAV TRACKS: Trace Me Onto You, Liars Love, Dizzy, New Vision
