By Rebecca M. Williams

Kingston, Pennsylvania punks Title Fight have toned things down on their recently released full-length, Hyperview. Title Fight is known to keep an edge, and I myself have been caught in quite a few rowdy moshpits at Title Fight shows. However, Hyperview showcases a more mellow side of the group; mixing in shades of surf rock, emo and chillwave, Title Fight have taken on a sound that is refreshing and grown-up.

The album’s single, “Chlorine,” features droning vocals and dissonant, bending guitars. Ned Russin contributes a little grit with some rough vocals on “Rose of Sharon;” Shane Moran’s wailing lead guitar on “Trace Me Onto You” is another highlight of the record. “Dizzy” is delightfully melodic; it fades out to a stripped down drumbeat and some white noise, with a seamless introduction to the following track. It’s details like these that make Hyperview impressive; some reverb here, a little dissonance there, and it becomes clear that Title Fight took their time with this record.

Overall, the album takes on a leisurely, almost Wavves-esque pace. The sleepy quality of this record is enhanced by heavy reverb and the melancholic lyrics Title Fight is known to write. Title Fight fans who were looking for another Floral Green (a.k.a. most Title Fight fans) might be disappointed by the new direction taken on Hyperview. But Title Fight is moving in a positive direction; Hyperview is a chilled-out, matured version of the group’s characteristic, restless punk. (Anti-)

Listen: “Chlorine”