Title Fight – Shed

Whether or not you get the full Shed experience depends on a number of factors. Do you regard Saves the Day as pioneers, and Walter Schreifels as the second coming of Christ? Do you remember with teary-eyed nostalgia when labelling a band emo was descriptive and not derogatory? If you’ve answered yes to one or more of those then you’ll likely enjoy Title Fight’s long-overdue debut.

The first half of the album seems dedicated to Hot Water Music (never a bad thing), mimicking their strain of up-tempo hardcore punk and more noticeably Chuck Ragan’s full-tilt vocal delivery, in an unsubtle yet effective manner, Society’s chorus benefitting greatly from these atonal leanings. From Where am I? onwards the album steps into more melodic territory, with songwriting dexterity taking prominence over punk clichés. It’s this that takes it over the edge, the stripped-back aesthetic and increased intricacy marking them as a cohesive unit rather than a mismatched collage of also-rans. [David Bowes]