Title Fight Releases New Song and Music Video (But Not the Guy Trapped on a Yacht)

December 11, 2014

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Phillip Morgan ’18 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Since their breathtaking 2012 LP Floral Green and the dirtier but still as enjoyable 2013 EP Spring Songs, Title FIght have soared to national attention as one of the biggest and most original acts in the new school of post-hardcore. Avoiding straightforward punk distortion in favor of a watery tone more in line with post-punk or shoegaze, and rejecting either the “screamo” or “clean” vocal techniques in favor of shifting between bassist Ned Russin’s pained yelp and lead guitarist Jamie Rhoden’s mellower mid-range croon, this Kingston, PA quartet has truly crafted a sound all their own, and the massive following they’ve built over the past couple of years certainly proves that much.

Having recently signed to Epitaph Records’ sister label ANTI-, the prospect of new material was hinted at frequently over the past several months, but on December 1 did Title Fight officially announced their third full length, titled Hyperview, will be released via ANTI- on February 3, 2015. As such, they’ve released the album’s first single “Chlorine,” along with its own music video (shown below), and already there are signs that Hyperview may be an entirely different beast from their previous work. Guitarists Jamie Rhoden and Shane Moran have tone that’s more phased than distorted this time around, placing much more emphasis on dissonance and leaning more heavily to the new wave/post-punk side of their sound than usual. Rhoden’s vocals are also noticeably lower than usual, giving the track a darker, more somber quality than any of their past material.

The video (shown below), further hints at a gloomier atmosphere, with a man frantically trying to escape a seemingly sinking yacht until he finally throws his briefcase overboard and attempts to swim for it, only to get apprehended by mysteriously masked men and wake up in his bed, starting the whole process over. Yet, the sound and feel of the song is still distinctively Title Fight, and even if their next record does venture into darker territory, as far as anyone can tell right now, it’s going to be on their own terms.