CD Review: Titus Andronicus
Steve Klinge - The Philadelphia InquirerIssue date: 3/25/10 Section: Music
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The Monitor
(XL)
Grade: B+
"I never wanted to change the world/but I'm looking for a new New Jersey/because tramps like us, baby we were born to die," Patrick Stickles declares, deftly merging Billy Bragg and Bruce Springsteen on Titus Andronicus' second album, The Monitor.
The shredded vocals, buzz-saw guitars, and defiant attitude signify punk rock. But the northern New Jersey band favors messy excess over concision. The Monitor is epic - 65 minutes, with half of its 10 songs surpassing seven minutes - and exhilarating, with unflagging energy and momentum.
Named after the Civil War ironclad, The Monitor is full of battle-cry choruses ("The enemy is everywhere!"), but Stickles is just as likely to turn to self-recriminations and make "You will always be a loser" a cathartic sing-along. Like Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst, he's an impressive writer skilled in metaphor and multilayered narrative.
Other reference points, direct and indirect, include the Pogues, Fugazi, the Hold Steady and Bob Dylan. Titus Andronicus knows history, but would rather recontextualize it than simply repeat it.
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