Album Review: Title Fight - Shed

Despite being a band for a while and having a number of 7” EPs under their belts already, 'Shed' is surprisingly Title Fight’s first full length. Unfortunately the long-awaited Shed falls somewhat short of expectation.

With bands in the genre being churned out at an alarming rate these days, the Pennsylvanian quartet’s debut full length does set them apart from the others, but perhaps not as much as it could have. 'Shed' is most definitely a foot tapper, but not necessarily a game changer.

'Coxton Yard' kicks off the album with catchy hooks and is swiftly followed by the stand-out title track, Shed. The vocals are raw and the sound edgy with an old-school pop-punk vibe, but the influence of bands like Lifetime and Jawbreaker are perhaps a tad too obvious on songs like Society.

The pace is slowed right down mid album with a song bound to split opinion - 'Safe In Your Skin'. While intense and thoughtful, it gets to work on bringing down the momentum the rest of the album sets. Songs such as 'Flood of ‘72' and 'Your Screen Door', full of exuberance and perfect for a live show, are fine examples of Title Fight’s upbeat, energetic pace.

The rest of the year is going to be hectic for Title Fight, with tours in the US and Australia before heading back to Europe in December on headline tour with Balance & Composure and Transit. Title Fight are certainly worth a watch at next week’s Hevy Fest in Kent.

3/5

'Shed' is out now on SideOneDummy Records.
Chantelle Kiki Goodchild