Listen to “Be a Toy” from Title Fight’s new Spring Songs EP (playing Union Transfer on 10/12)

Within a few hours of Title Fight‘s new single “Be A Toy” popping up online this week (including yesterday’s Pitchfork nod) folks were already weighing in on the Kingston, Pa. punk outfit’s latest progression. On YouTube and Soundcloud, some talked of the band blending their aggressive old and melodic new sounds and not wanting to be pigeonholed by the pop-punk world. Others drew fond comparisons to The Strokes and Weezer. My favorite, from YouTube user Christopher7937: “Dear Title Fight, I know you change your sound every 7″/LP but please keep this. It’s the jaaaam”

Listening to the track, which will appear on the band’s Spring Songs EP, due out November 12th on Revelation Records, its immediately apparent that this is Title Fight at its most direct and accessible – and that for this band, accessibility does not mean wimping out on volume or distortion. For a crew that’s built its rabid fan base from the ground up, without much mainstream attention outside of the alt-punk world, this signals a brilliant middle ground that could both usher in new listeners while maintaining the loyalty of the old ones. Check out “Be a Toy” below, and get more information on Title Fight’s headlining Union Transfer show on October 12th here.