Pennsylvania natives Title Fight return with a collection of new and old on The Last Thing You Forget. This 7" contains three brand new cuts that build on their melodic hardcore background; a CD version contains a bonus fourth song from the recording session as well as their Kingston 7" and songs from their first release, a split with The Erection Kids.
Focusing on the new material, the 7" leads off with "Symmetry." It's a song that brings to mind their earlier work. It's a faster guitar-driven punk tune. I get a Shook Ones feel from the music and the semi-gruff yells match this style of punk perfectly. "Introvert" also opens in this fashion before taking to a meandering lukewarm indie feel. "No One Stays at the Top Forever" is much more subdued and reserved. It starts with a Small Brown Bike-inspired mood before the pace quickens with a punk beat and a focus on the melodic guitars.
The next three songs revisit the band's 7" release Kingston. As pointed out in my earlier review of said release, you get a mixture of fast-paced melodic punk akin to Saves the Day's Can't Slow Down with hints of the Midwest emo sound. It's slightly different from the newest recordings, but the transition to where they are now is logical given these recordings.
Also included are five cuts from a split with The Erection Kids. These songs definitely have more of a hardcore flavor. The pace is faster; the riffs are a bit harder, but not metallic in nature. These songs are obviously more basic than what they are doing now, but they're still a fun listen. But within the more raw approach are hints of a more matured and focused sound to come, "Goldwaite" is a perfect example of this.
Finally, we get a bonus track from the group's most recent recording session. "Western Haikus" is the most melodic and pop-driven of the new recordings. This straightforward approach works quite well for the group. Now it'll be interesting to see where the band goes from here. Hopefully a full-length is on the horizon.
The Last Thing You Forget serves as a great snapshot of Title Fight. Not only do you get to hear where the group is at now with the four new songs, you also get a peak back at where they've come from in the past two years. Anyone that enjoys melodic hardcore and pop punk should take the time to listen; this is a great collection of songs.
