Title Fight’s third album release, Hyperview is more of the same. Not that that’s a bad thing, especially when you’re working in a niche genre like revival emo – real emo like Jawbreaker and Sunny Day Real Estate, none of this From First To Last garbage.
Hyperview has been considerably toned down however, opting for more of the atmospheric and emotive rock, in the same vein as Moving Mountains and Nothing, Title Fight used to be much harder hitting and punky. The band’s fourth major release sports none of the raw throaty vocals found in Floral Green, and the drumming has taken a turn as well, technical and lingering, opposed to the circle-pit fodder that previously backed their tracks.
Chlorine,the first release from the album is haunting: “Decorated blue, opening a wound,” fades out to radio tuning noises and despair, an absolutely wonderful track to have a long hard think about the awful things that have happened in your life.
Your Pain Is Mine Now has something distinctly The Smiths-ish about it, in moniker and sound, Ned Russin does a wonderful job of mimicking Morrissey’s warble, depressed and heartfelt but with the juxtaposing jangly major chords.
There seems to have been a downgrade in production that gives the record a very surreal and garage feel, almost like it’s a first record, paid for and produced off their own backs – this may have something to do with the move to ANTI-, but being under the Epitaph umbrella, one would expect more. Hyperview seems unrealised, as if the band still hasn’t arrived in their final destination for sound. Genre-bending, but at the same time sticking to a trite and true sound, this album is best directed at fans;
I don’t think the band are going to convert anyone like they did with Shed.
BY NAVARONE FARRELL
