Title Fight’s “Hyperview” is a dizzying, dark reflection on a menagerie of obscurity. Dominated by confessional slam poetry lyrics and a blundering, woozy tone, this album shows a significant shift from the band’s earlier material.
The lyricism is far from vapid, it is a transformation from the band’s previously rigid post-hardcore efforts towards an intricate lyrical style. The lyrics are short, complicated pieces intertwined with huge, atmospheric guitar-driven instrumentals, resounding into the 31-minute brevity that constitutes “Hyperview.”
Hailing from the punk scene in Kingston, Pa., Title Fight embraces their hometown roots and creates a great repertoire referencing where they came from in this latest album.
The band created a mural in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. that now serves as the album art for “Hyperview.” Aiming to craft something of discovery in a desolate town, the group designed the mural as a marker of culture for a city that is sleepy and drifting in and out of consciousness in terms of the arts. The band said they hope that the mural will inspire locals.
Opening song “Murder Your Memory” is an ethereal underwater-sounding take on remembrance. This punk track is reminiscent of the Mick Jenkins hip-hop mixtape, “The Water[s],” using drowsy, slow-building instrumentals to orchestrate water-hinged songs.
Relative to the “Hyperview” mural, “Murder Your Memory” feels as if it were pieced together to make a statement about art in an artless world. Both are unusual outlets, reinforcing reflection while simultaneously, as the track illustrates, allowing one to force a memory away.
“Hypernight” is Title Fight’s greatest derivation from their post-hardcore past; the song is full of dwindling, vibe-fueled instrumental breakdowns that are not at all prevalent in the band’s past records, which consist of many less-than-3-minute-long songs.
However, with lyrics such as, “I don't want to see things differently / It's what I taught myself to believe,” the band revisits the aura of lyricism present in their earlier works. Signaling cohesion and authenticity, it is now up to the listener to decide whether or not Title Fight is still punk enough.
“Hyperview” is a brilliant record because it does not emulate the excellence of 2012’s “Floral Green,” or any of the band’s foundational material for that matter. Overall, this is a solid record marking great change for the band, but a hard-core Title Fight listener might require a few thorough listenings for it to sound like a great album.