Review Summary: Grade: A-
I first heard Titus Andronicus on a local radio station. It was “A More Perfect Union,” the opening track of the sophomore release by this New Jersey band. My first impressions were lukewarm. To me, it was similar to many punk songs I was a fan of during my pubescent stage. Although I picked up a couple clever references to Springsteen, Billy Bragg, and Simon and Garfunkel, my knee-jerk negativity placed this band in the “friend zone”. My interest waned and it would be a couple months before I heard them again...live.
They were the opening act that night. I don’t remember much, but somewhere between the bar and the bathroom I got caught in their tractor beam. Mesmerized and bewildered I stood for over an hour in motionless silence, until one of my friends snapped me out of it, “want to get a spot up front for the other band?”
“There’s another band?” I responded. I had to hear more.
The following is an account of my foray into the delightfully unexpected:
TA’s anthems march sure-step through the first half of the album like a war drummer drunk on fear, with lyrics so depressing they are uplifting. “You will always be a loser,” the band bellows over and again on “No Future Part Three” [a continuance of a three-part song originating on their 2008 debut The Airing of Grievances], somehow has never sounded so positive. TA’s three chord anthems are not treading any new ground here, but the production value and downright gusto of the band adds an air of freshness to the old formulas. Hints of fellow New Jerseyite, Springsteen and even punk stalwarts like Dillinger Four can be heard throughout the album; but the energy is simply their own. The constant reminder of impending doom is brought to us by hallowing speeches (Abe Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, etc.) and desperate and alarming vocals. The loose Civil War concept is really just a framework in which lead singer, Patrick Stickles can growl his misanthropic lyrics without burying it in a self-indulged, whiney muck. The upbeat music and hint of melodies is the only thing keeping it out of the mire, and barely; in a good way.
At the end of side A (“Pot in Which to Piss”) they somehow had the balls to start with a slow song. It almost would have gone down as a sad-bastard snoozer if at 2:30 hadn’t kicked into one of the most catchy/melodic tunes on the record. The subject matter is heroin cravings, excrement, and being cheated on. If that doesn’t exhaust you, guess what? we’re only halfway through.
I am proud to announce, the B-side does not disappoint. Whether it be just a straight-up drinking-with-the-buddies song (“Theme From Cheers”) or a heartbreaking duet in the form of a love/hate song (“To Old Friends and New”, w/ Jenn Wasner from Wye Oak) this album is a timeless, emotional comment about having fun at the expense of your own despair. They wrap all of this up in the epic 14-minute, “The Battle of Hampton Roads”, which is just really beyond words for me.
I haven’t felt fifteen for a very long time. I don’t miss the awkward puberty, sweaty palms, and high school bullies, but I do look back fondly at a time where we enjoyed music because it made us feel good. Screaming an anthem out at a show or pounding your fist on the steering wheel. Titus Andronicus has nailed these feelings down in the guise of a Ken Burns documentary. The Monitor is like watching a rendition of Grease portrayed by actors too drunk to stand.
My search for all things good in this world was again overshadowed by my childlike naivety and inability to be childlike again. My calculated notions about “good music” almost quashed me from enjoying one of the best albums I have had the honor of listening to in quite a while. I believe this is the theme of The Monitor, more than the Civil War, we need to enjoy this ***, before it’s too late. It is a True Album and truly an experience. I get it now.
Shining Moments:
-”A Pot in Which to Piss”
-”To Old Friends and New”
-”The Battle of Hampton Roads”
Stand-out Quotes:
-“The enemy is everywhere”
-”You will always be a loser”
-”I’ve been called out, cuckolded, castrated, but I survived
I am covered in urine and excrement but I’m alive”
