Three American heavyweights of the year descend upon the Underworld tonight, each one well within their rights to stake a claim for album of 2011.

But a night full of such promise comes with a weight of expectation attached, and as Boston’s Transit wander sheepishly out in front of a sea of flannel shirts and bobble hats, there’s clearly some nerves from a band a long way from home. But any tension in the air is immediately punctured as both band and crowd launch themselves into ‘Please, Head North.’ What follows is a half hour of campfire-esque sing-a-longs, with the best part of the set taken from 2011 release, ‘Listen & Forgive.’ But it’s the band’s earlier offerings that stir up the biggest frenzy from the crowd, and the fresh-faced Americans are visibly chuffed with the response.

Next up is Pennsylvania’s Balance And Composure, who are perhaps the lesser known entity of the evening. While the band’s 90s tinged alt-rock sound may see the band fending off Brand New comparisons for years to come, tonight they impress on their own terms. Beginning with slow burners ‘Void’ and ‘Fade’, the band build steadily before unleashing the blazing ‘I Tore You Apart In My Head’ on the unsuspecting audience. It takes a while to get going but once they do it’s captivating.

But the final word tonight is had by melodic hardcore heroes Title Fight. The Hadron Collider of a band explode onto stage, wrestling the crown from tonight’s supports in the process. It’s a high-energy set, as if they know any different, with the room going ballistic for every song – the amount of fans on stage outnumbering band members at any given point. Tracks from summer album ‘Shed’ are performed with as much oversized heartiness as classics.

Tom Shepherd