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Titus Andronicus
Glen Rock, NJ, has over 11-thousand residents. Like a lot of towns its size the locals lay claim to celebrities of all stripes. Glen Rock is the hometown of Michael Cavanaugh, star of the Broadway musical Movin' Out!, Charlie Tahan, actor, and one of the main characters in the '07 film I Am Legend, Jimmy Vivino, of The Max Weinberg 7 and Titus Andronicus.
Titus Andronicus, who took their name from a minor, and gory, early tragedy by William Shakespeare, started as a trio in '05 but grew to eleven members at one point - tuning up must have taken forever - until they winnowed themselves down to a quintet.
The group released their debut "The Airing Of Grievances" in '09.
"The Monitor," Titus Andronicus' sophomore album a year later, revolved around the Civil War but managed to reach more contemporary touchstones.
The USS Monitor was the first ironclad ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy. The battle between The Monitor and the Confederate Navy's CSS Virginia (formerly the steam frigate USS Merrimack) at the Battle of Hampton Roads (a song title on the album) was by most accounts a draw - but it did spell the end of wooden ships in naval combat.
Punk is known for slashing guitars, impatient drums and powerful, if defiantly rudimentary, bass lines. But Punk's main attraction has always been the overwrought vocals - as if the singer were engaged in an animated discussion/argument with the audience, an imaginary villain or even himself. It's personal, passionate and uncompromised. Patrick Stickles has that.
Titus Andronicus plays see-saw chords with authority, giving Stickles room to emote - sometimes it's too much but that doesn't happen often. "My Time Outside The Womb," "Titus Andronicus" "Arms Against Atrophy" and "No Future Part Two: The Day After No Future" a pure Punk shots. By the way, "No Future" is a classic 2 AM bar closer ballad. And as the title indicates, "Upon Viewing Brueghel's Landscape With The Fall Of Icarus" is the band's take on epic Rock.
It may be true that many of the same social, political and personal issues in place during Lincoln's time are present today ("the enemy is everywhere"). Still, a concept album is tricky business.- especially one that revolves around a historically controversial/contentious event like the Civil War.
Though Titus Andronicus give it a good try - even opening with the recitation of an 1838 Lincoln speech ("A More Perfect Union") - "The Monitor" works best when there's just a tangential relationship to overriding theme.
"Titus Andronicus Forever" delivers brilliant unhinged Punk. "...And Forever" is a blast of '50s Rock - who knew they had it in them? There's a nice little romp in "Theme From 'Cheers." And despite having another hopelessly elongated title, "Richard II Or Extraordinary Popular Dimensions And The Madness Of Crowds (Responsible Hate Anthem), has drive and purpose. The acoustic numbers, with the exception of "To Old Friends And New," add little, if anything.