Review Summary: Jersey kids' Civil War-themed sophomore effort is one of the best of 2010.
March 8, 1862: The Battle of Hampton Roads begins. On that day, the CSS Virginia destroyed two wooden ships and struck fear in another. However, the USS Monitor came to protect the third ship the following night. When morning came, the Virginia and the Monitor, the first ironclad warship, fought what would become one of the most important naval battles of the American Civil War. The fight captured the attention of other navies, including those of Great Britain and France, who decided to immediately cease the manufacturing of wooden-hulled ships.
Not only was this the first instance of warfare involving an ironclad ship, “The Battle of Hampton Roads” is the title of the 14-minute closing track on The Monitor, which is, of course, named for that vessel. If you’ve read this far, you won’t be surprised to know that this album is loosely based upon the Civil War. Spoken interludes that quote the likes of Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman, snare drum rhythms provoking thoughts of entering 19th-century combat and battle cry-esque chants are all examples of the war’s influence on Titus Andronicus’ second full-length. Punk rock energy and angst pulsate in frontman and primary songwriter Patrick Stickles’ heart and throat throughout, as well as in the instrumentation. Rapid riffs and thick distortion, as well as jaunty piano passages and a few sedate sections provide a nice contrast to the songs of The Monitor. This record is less of a history lesson than it is fun, and this New Jersey group of twenty-somethings aren't afraid to display a gamut of emotions.
Though this album was inspired by a Ken Burns documentary based upon the topic, Stickles doesn’t solely write about the war. As he did on the band’s debut, 2008’s The Airing of Grievances, he displays a respectable amount of literacy while singing about as diverse topics as being covered in feces, high school depression and hitting up a favorite bar with some buds and your old man. Members of groups such as the Hold Steady and Vivian Girls appear to recite quotes from historical figures such as Honest Abe, Whitman and William Lloyd Garrison on nearly every track. Stickles pessimistically alters the lyrics from home-state hero Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” on opening cut “A More Perfect Union” and specifically mentions The Boss in the closer. This album’s subject matter is equal parts frustration and celebration, past and present.
Assuming that their acclaimed first record brought on a higher budget, The Monitor's 65 minutes are less lo-fi than the debut. Five songs are stretched to at least seven minutes, due to the repeated lyrics in each of the album’s many mantras, extended feedback-y outros and the aforementioned interludes. It remains debatable as to whether these extended lengths are necessary, but this disc is no doubt an album’s album. Drinking anthems show up as often as gloom, and Titus Andronicus may prove to be a big player in the indie game with the release of just a little more material. But for now, we have The Monitor, to which we can throw back fifths of hard liquor, empathize with and rock our brains out.
