Titus Andronicus
The Most Lamentable Tragedy
Merge Records (2015)
Sounds Like: T. Rex meets Toys That Kill
Score: 8.5/10
The Most Lamentable Tragedy might be Titus Andronicus’ fourth studio album, but it’s one filled with many firsts.
After 14 different personnel changes over the years, the band (now asking to be referred to as “+@”) has solidified a steady lineup. It also happens to be their first release on their surprising new label, Merge Records, whose repertoire leans more on quirky folk-driven indie artists, and less on rowdy Jersey punk bands tackling bipolar rock operas.
The plot of The Most Lamentable Tragedy has us following a narrator, frantically losing his wits, who comes across his doppelgänger. Through his other self he learns the beauty of living in a perpetual state of neuroticism. Sprinkle a love story here and there and you have a stage worthy musical that is sure to catch interest from the hipster blogs.
The record is made up of 29 tracks, each one different in its own way, from the 33-second long “Look Alive” to the nine minute “(S)HE SAID / (S)HE SAID.” The production is never too polished, and is sometimes on the verge of seeming as if the mixing levels are going awry. But things fall together for the most part, as many tracks are treated as one very long grandiose song, helping keep the story in line. A personal favorite part of this story is “Come On, Siobhán,” where the rhythm section is perfectly textured by a violin in the background, giving it a Dexys Midnight Runners vibe.
There’s a catchiness that comes from Patrick Stickles’ singing style. He embraces repetitiveness. Listen to “I Don’t Mind (+@)” without having the lines “I don’t mind when I lose my mind” stuck in your head. It somehow makes the subject matter less tragic and more playful.
Since 2007, +@ has been making the kind of art-punk that catches the attention of punks like myself. The kind that’s too insecure to find the testosterone fueled anthems of bands like Pennywise relatable, yet not too self-absorbed in our daily mental standoffs to see the stupidity of it all. But they’ve always managed to avoid becoming a cliché of the ostracized weirdo, and I appreciate them for that.
That said, TMLT isn’t close to perfect. Some tracks seem to talk about the same subject just played to different chords. A few songs seem to come out of nowhere and make the plot difficult to follow, but those are few and far between. +@ ask a lot of their audience, but just listen to the album from start to finish and you’ll hear the intricacies crafted on most songs outpacing the flaws of others.
+@ have done things their own way, yet again.
-Alan Madrigal
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