Maybe I'm just biased, because I really do like this band. That being said, it's impossible for any writer to not have some sort of internal bias to an extent when offering their opinion on anything, such as in the form of a review. Hyperview is Title Fight's third studio album in four years, their second with Will Yip producing and their first for oddball label ANTI- records. The album's been getting a really mixed reaction since its release from both fans and critics alike, and since I was one of the few who seemed to love it, I figured I'd offer my opinion.
Oh, and for the pop punk/hardcore fans reading, you should probably stop now. Any sonic resemblance of the band that made The Last Thing You Forget and even Shed are pretty much out the window. In fact, even after hearing (and loving) Floral Green this album seemed like quite the left turn; its release marks 2 and a half years since Floral Green came out, easily the longest gap between LPs for Title Fight. Floral Green really went into the indie rock influences that had been threatening to overtake Title Fight's punk beginnings-influences like Lifetime, Madball, Lifetime and Saves the Day were no longer impacting the music; this time around, their sound catered more to the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, and Nirvana. Temples were slowed, layers were added, pedalboards got bigger, noisy passages got longer, the band as a whole mellowed out. That's not to say the songs weren't as intense as before-they were-they just sounded much more matured and coming from a completely different place than they were 3 years prior. In combining the blueprint of their former sound with a wide range of rock influences and '90s shoegaze worship, the band hit a sweet spot by getting their sound down into something cohesive and wholly unique. The hooks were also bigger and better on this record, as was the melodies, the mix, the production, and well, just about everything. Gone were the days of thinking "Symmetry" was their best song; in was having your jaw dropped at the fact that this was the same band now writing songs like "Head in the Ceiling Fan."
A year later though, they released the short EP Spring Songs, a collection of four short tunes they had reportedly been working on in the studio. Though not completely different from Floral Green, the songs did differ in quite a few ways; the hooks were more concise, the songs shorter and more riff-based, and the production more glossy, and well, accessible. It still sounded like Title Fight, and the songs were still catchy, but it wasn't quite as interesting as what they were doing before; instead, it sounded like they were looking for commercial approval. Between that release (especially single "Be a Toy"), playing Coachella, and the new album coming out, I expected TF to venture into full on alternative rock territory and finally hit it big.
And boy, was I wrong. If anything the songs on Hyperview are less accessible than anything they've ever done. Yeah, the hooks are there, and the melodies are nice and warm (credit this also to a new setup featuring vintage Fender Jaguars-aka the guitars every revivalist is playing nowadays) but just one visit to absolutepunk forums tells you what the fans are thinking.
"Where the hell are the vocals, man?" Well, they're there. If you're not used to this realm of music, its understandable being turned off by this, and at first listen, the album does kinda mesh together and warrants confused reactions. Upon further listening, though, the melodies underneath rise to the surface, you adjust to the sound, and the songs at the core turn out to be really well written and actually fit quite well within the sonic template they're presented in. But hell, I don't blame people; even when I heard "Rose of Sharon" for the first time, I took a double take-is this really the same band?
Speaking of "Rose", the albums second single, despite its vocals being low in the mix and the guitars, like most of the rest of the album being flanged-to-death, it's actually one of the more straightforward and "punky" of the bunch, the verse kicking right off with fast drum fills and lots of distortion, and Ned Russin's vocals shouting from a distance. People initially complained Russin's vocals were too low in the mix on this song and that he sounded like he was yelling from another room; repeated listens make you realize that was the intent, and it really captures the paranoid intensity of this song quite well.
Like "Rose of Sharon", single "Chlorine" is very straightforward and hook laden, built off a distorted guitar riff that recalls the glory days of 120 minutes and having your hair in your eyes. These songs seem to actually be tailor-made for the Pitchfork crowd (and they do get a decent amount of airtime on XMU, Sirius' indie channel), a scene so opposed to (and vice versa) by Title Fight's initial demographic that the awkward interaction between the two mixing types at a recent show would either make you laugh out loud or visibly groan. And that is apparent from the songwriting here as well, from the fantastic opening slow-burn of "Murder Your Memory" to the gliding bass line on "Hypernight", Title Fight is clearly making a big transition here and walking the fine line of trying to appease to multiple fanbases at once.
Not that they care, though. Songs like "Dizzy" and "Mrahc" are a fantastic example of Title Fight's new sound at work, a cocktail of upbeat punk, shoegaze and 90s alternative. People have accused Title Fight's songs in the past of being meaningless revivalism but that's hard to say when you can't pin down their sound. Though cries of shoegaze are often made against the band, the twangy notes picked from Jamie's guitar along Ben Russin's decidedly punk drumming style and Shane Moran's wall of Marshall stack bred distortion say otherwise. The difference between Title Fight and other "revivalist" bands is what they're doing here is entirely their own thing-they use influences instead of abusing them, and the songwriting puts them miles above their peers.
That being said, there is a sameness about these songs to a point. "Liar's Love" is the only throwaway track here, entirely forgettable, and it is bizarre at times to hear Ned's screams conflict with Jamie's new found tendencies to sound like Morrissey. That being said, the drag that the album puts on is a comfortable one; the feeling of sameness is the intended effect, and it's applied pretty well here. All of the songs convey a cohesive musical statement and put you in an interesting mood-one of feeling lonely and sad but at the same time surrounded by everything going on at once. Despite clashing at times, Ned's harsher vocal style is actually a benefit to the album as well; on "Hypernight", a song that would just be a shoegaze b-side in another band's hands, is brought to almost anthemic, uplifting heights due to Russin's vocal melodies in the chorus. Whereas, on a Pity Sex album, the words "hyperrrnightt" would just drag on into reverb-y oblivion, Ned screams them at the top of his lungs, "HYPERNIGHT!" This coupled with the instrumental going on in the background, provides a really interesting experience. You feel a sense of teen angst, and at the same time that of a very lazy, deep, adultlike regret.
To say this is Title Fight's most diverse album or even their best would be a lie, but it's definitely their most interesting and considering how many times the band's sound has changed in the past few years-and done so organically and succeeded at it-it'll be interesting to see where their careers go next. Hell, maybe in 10 years they'll be making minimalist techno and their fans will have more to complain about. But if they do, fret not: Ben's rough voice will still be there, the songs will still be fast and loud, and the hooks will still have you screaming at the top of your lungs.
