Titus Andronicus - The Monitor (XL) 08/03/10

Just one year after their raucous garage-rock debut ‘The Airing of Grievances’ got picked up by XL Titus Andronicus return with a considerably more ambitious and mature sound in ‘The Monitor’.

Well, where to start? The album is part-concept, littered with a catalogue of quotes and historical references to the American civil war, it dabbles in numerous genres from garage rock, to Pogues-esque folk and the featured artists read like a roll-call of up-and-coming indie heroes. Probably best to start at the beginning…

 ‘A More Perfect Union’ certainly sets the scene, think gritty, garage rock Bruce Springsteen - the band even paying homage to their fellow New Jerseyan referencing a ’Born to Run’ lyric as well as the man himself directly later in the album. What with all of this being bookended with extended quotes from Abraham Lincoln and William Lloyd Garrison, it’s certainly not your typical opener but it is effective and invigorating to listen to.

Patrick Stickles is still a testament to a great band not requiring a “technically” great singer and his trademark wired shout/snarl/sing ignites the opener before the fierce extended guitar solo cuts through the mix. Titus Andronicus seem more enthused and frenetic than ever and the key seems to be their looser approach to song structures and experimentation with differing sounds and instrumentation. As tracks twist and turn through genres and dynamics Stickles’ frantic vocals sound consistently pushed to the limit, barely able to keep up. When rampant noise eventually gives way to softer tones the relief in his exhausted and softly spoken tone is palpable. Of course, it’s only a brief moment before the group explodes back into action…

Continuing their penchant for pretentiously titled unpretentious songs, ‘Titus Andronicus Forever or Theme from “The Monitor”’ is a straight up blues rock number, which sounds like the result of a drunken singalong. It’s a good reminder that the group don’t take themselves too seriously and the hook even gets a reprisal as a honky-tonk number later in the album in ‘…And Ever’, saxophone solo and all.

Aside from those two boisterous outbursts the majority of the album is made up of wide-ranging, progressive pieces in which the group try to attain some objective understanding of contemporary life through their heritage and musical roots (…and a substantial amount of drinking). Musically and lyrically the band digs deep yet still captures the unparalleled enthusiasm present on their debut.

Titus Andronicus sound like an impassioned and united force, whether it be the epic marching band beats and americana of ‘Richard II’, or the genre-merging ‘A Pot in Which to Piss’ (which manages to throw in a shoegazey intro, anthemic rock and honky-tonk), or even the alcohol-fuelled, folk-tinged ‘Theme from “Cheers” they sound vibrant and purposeful. The reoccurring crescendos into anthemic chants only reinforce this - “it’s still us against them” (‘Four Score and Seven’), “you will always be a loser” (‘No Future’) and “I need a whiskey” (‘Theme from Cheers’) all cry out for unison.

From the opening moments of ‘A More Perfect Union’ to the bagpipe-featuring, feedback drenched finish of ‘The Battle of Hampton Roads’ it constantly feels as though it could all fall apart at any moment  and it’s all the better for it. ‘The Monitor’ is epic, enthralling, occasionally dumb and brilliant. This is the sound of an extremely focused group capturing the passion and vivacity of their work.