Titus Andronicus ups the ambition ante
What’s the deal? Inspired in equal parts by punk and classic rock, Titus Andronicus formed in New Jersey in 2005. Very much the product of their verbose frontman Patrick Stickles, their debut The Airing of Grievances introduced the world to ragged and raw acolytes of both Springsteen and Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst.
But by 2010’s The Monitor, Stickles stepped out of his influences’ shadow with a far weightier record in both sound and scope. Finding a sonic middle ground between the Pogues and the Hold Steady, the album used the American Civil War as a backdrop for Stickles’ self-deprecating, barroom singalongs.
Their fourth and most recent album, The Most Lamentable Tragedy, further ups the ambition ante. A 93minute rock opera presented in five acts, it explores Stickles’ struggles with manic depression; a chance encounter between the protagonist and his doppelganger sets the story in motion.
Despite the artier pretenses, the record is chock full of the self-loathing anthems that have caused critics to heap praise on the group. Though they have a handful of late-night television appearances under their belts, Titus Andronicus members still view themselves as part of a DIY underground; their reputation lives and dies on the road, making them a notto-be-missed live act.
What’s a song I need to hear right now? Given that the band’s new record is a rock opera, separating out one song doesn’t do the band’s outsized ambitions justice. Instead, their 15-minute short-film “The Magic Morning,” directed by Stickles, captures six of Act II’s contiguous songs, best showcasing the band’s many moods.
Where can I see them play? The Horseshoe Tavern, Oct. 13, with Spider Bags and Baked.