Title Fight
The Last Thing You Forget 7”
Run For Cover; 2009
When I reviewed the Kingston 7” from Title Fight last year, I found myself enjoying the raucous brand of classic pop-punk these Pennsylvania kids had created. I loved the heart and energy with which the guys sang their tales of woebegone love. But when the three tracks of The Last Thing You Forgot 7” assaulted my ears earlier this week, it was immediately apparent that these boys had grown into men. The zippy double-time skate punk pacing is still present (for the most part), but the band has willingly embraced key elements of old-school punk and post-hardcore into the mix.
The record begins with “Symmetry,” which is unmistakably the standout track, as it displays the clearest and most defined example of Title Fight’s musical growth and progress. The power chords and drumming are as blistering as ever, but when matched with a new-found vocal growl (a somewhat harsh, grim one at that) and a willingness to indulge in a big breakdown (the one that occurs as “Introvert” comes to a close and “No One Stays At The Top Forever” starts up), the result is an almost entirely new band. Furthermore, though these three songs might still be about struggles with women, but instead of pining away in Kingston, the group sounds determined to move on into the future (while still able to engage in the occasional fit of nostalgia). What impresses me most regarding The Last Thing You Forget is in how effectively it captures the band in its active attempt to stretch, grow, and mature. Fortune most certainly favors the bold.
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The Last Thing You Forget is also available in CD format and brings together all of the band’s previously recorded material (including the three songs from Kingston) and one new song, entitled “Western Haikus.”
October 17th, 2009 10:44