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Titus Andronicus - Crave your approval but will settle for y

Red on Black | Cardiff | 03/13/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"So what do we have here then? In short it is a concept album using the American Civil War as an extended metaphor for a young man's journey away from his ancestral home in New Jersey to his new home in Boston, combined with a sort of half hearted homage to Bruce Springsteen. It doesn't sound very promising does it? Amazingly then it is all the more surprising that "The Monitor" by Titus Andronicus largely works and on times works brilliantly. Moreover a band which take their name from a minor Shakespearean tragedy turn out to be a high voltage, messy, punk American bar band who have recorded in the words of Drowned in Sound "just a stupendous collection of songs; one that demands to be listened to as loudly as you can possibly get away with"



The Monitor is of course the great American civil war iron clad battleship that fought to a standstill its Confederate equivalent CSS Virginia at the Battle of Hampton Roads. It is no great shock then to find a 14 minute long ode to said battle on this album which in its ninth minute introduces the bagpipes!



Let us forget the concept for now and pose the key question what's the music like? The album starts with someone quoting Abraham Lincoln and then "A more perfect union" erupts. Squalls of feedback breach into a huge drum beat/riff which would put the Gaslight Anthem to shame and singer Patrick Stickles announcing that "I never wanted to change the world, I'm not looking for a new New Jersey / But tramps like us / Baby we were born to die". Indeed the current obsession of young American bands with the Boss knows no bounds except in this case its Bruce's nasty nephews at happy hour with ASBOs! At about 4 minute 10 seconds it seems to break into a different song that could be the Dropkick Murphys. Just hear it.



Second song "Titus Andronicus forever" is a 2 minute thrash out essentially revolving around a mental guitar solo and the band screaming the "enemy is everywhere". "Richard II" subtitled with some lack of brevity (Or Extraordinary Popular Dimensions And The Madness Of Crowds (Responsible Hate Anthem) is one of the greatest songs the Pogues never recorded and will lead to the most raucous live shows any side of the Atlantic. "A pot in which to p" is another 9 minute epic which contains within its boundaries just about the whole history of rock n roll and what I detect to be a couple of new chords! The albums epic highlight is "Fore Score and Seven" starting slowly with a Sickles offering a range of unprintable expletives. It has a bigger kick than a donkey with a migraine and turns into total rock 'n'roll mayhem where at one time Stickles announces that -



"We're all depraved and disgusting" I spew like a fountain,

"And debased, defaced, disgraced and destroyed,

"Most of all disappointed" I say atop this mountain



In this setting "Theme from Cheers" is actually quite a nice if rather anarchic pop song and for good measure why not reprise "Titus Andronicus forever" again call it "And ever" and off we go again "The enemy is everywhere"..... This album is work of a band whose motto is the title of this review. Titus Andronicus are a rude, raw rock band who will be lucky to ever sell a record and that would be a little Shakespearian tragedy in its own right (the comparisons with the Replacements in this regard are spooky) "The Monitor" is hugely inventive, lyrically funny and often literate, partly Irish mixed with Conor Oberst and more often than not completely scabrous. Spin has called it Born to Run's drunk stepchild on a epic spree. Wish I thought of that one."

A classic by a band that should be

P. Phalen | Vernon Hills, IL United States | 06/12/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Since I liked this recording almost immediately a few months ago I waited a few more months before posting a review to see if my enthusiasm would wear off. I still love it, consider it the best of the year and may even put it as one of my favorites in the last 10 years or so.



They wear their hearts on their sleeves - respectfully pulling from their influences but never sounding derivative (kind of like Wilco or Doves at their best). Its also brave that they pulled of a concept recording and have songs that run 7-10 minutes long. Definitely recommend not judging the band or recording by the you tube version of "a more perfect union" but getting the full version of "The Monitor".



I'm 42 and Westerberg has provided the soundtrack of my last 28 years. Yes, musically you can draw similarities to the mats -lyrical wordplay and musical ragged glory. My enthusiasm does as well - an indie band that's so deserving you want the world to hear yet selfishly you want to keep to yourself. That probably hasn't happened for me since discovering Sonic Youth."

BEST CD SINCE 'BOYS AND GIRLS IN AMERICA'

Michael Trudeau | Philadelphia PA | 05/15/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A concept album about the Civil War complete with spoken word interludes sounds like a disasterous, pretentious dog turd of an idea. Sometimes things that sound awful in theory turn out to be pretty amazingly good (Think'Seperation Sunday' by the Hold Steady). The keys are: First, a real appreciation and understanding of indie rock history that allows the band to reference Billy Bragg and Yo La Tengo among others. Second, a real self-depricating resigned Westerbeg-like lyrical approach. The sense of humor underpinning it all prevents any pretentiousness. More importantly, recent indie rock releases have, in general, been too self-conscious and reserved to really rock. In the golden age bands like the 'Mats, Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr., Squirrel Bait etc.. could be smart and exciting. Todays Pitchfork-promoted indie darlings see smart and exciting as mutually exclusive attributes. Not Titus Andronicus. This record is an outstanding accomplishment especially for a second album. Many great bands (The Jam, Replacements etc.. ) have churned out forgetable second LPs. The fact that Titus Andronicus has improved on their impressive debut suggests that they will have staying power. This CD has been in heavy rotation since I got it and never gets old. Buy this and you will not be disappointed."