The Monitor - Titus Andronicus
The Monitor Image
Metascore
82 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 92 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Summary: The first full-length album on XL Recordings for the rock band from New Jersey was named after a warship that fought during the American Civil War.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. No Ripcord
    100
    Titus Andronicus have created an album that will grip the listener, carry them along on a tide of spit and blood and youthful aggression, and leave them dazed and exhausted at the end, with no other option but to start the record all over again.
  2. Mojo
    80
    Encyclopedic US indie rock--American Civil War, Walt Whitman, Hold Steady, Shakespeare all included.
    All this publication's reviews
  3. BBC Music
    80
    The band have taken Bruce Springsteen's influence, twisted and distorted it and made a quite remarkable album that lives up both to its rebellious, riotous ambition and its rich musical heritage.
  4. PopMatters
    60
    Neither a home run, then, nor the dreaded sophomore slump, The Monitor is, it is probably more fair to say, the album that finds the band maturing beyond the precocious triumph of their debut by first having to pass through their awkward, gangly adolescent phase.

See all 32 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Rob
    10
    Messy, confused, angry, brilliant.
  2. db0928
    10
    The clear-cut pick for album of the year; this manages to outdo its absolutely stellar debut album in every way, and kicks your face in for a solid 65 minutes. Patrick Stickles is a songwriter and lyricist on par with the best of them, and there is not a weak track on here. Pure Brilliance.… Expand
  3. lolbearcats
    10
    Pop Matters said this wasn't a home run, clearly they're unfamiliar with baseball because this album is a grand slam. This album knocks it right out of the **** park into the mesosphere, everything you could want is here from solid lyrics to an epic bag pipe solo.… Expand
  4. Vampire25
    8
    Titus Andronicus come back with something big and ambitious to say with this sophomore album. The Monitor is a sprawling record about youth and angst, and something to do partially with the civil war. From the lyrics to the loud guitar to the production, this is a great record. All In All, The Monitor is an album that needs to be played as loud as you'd like, as long as it's really loud. B+… Expand

See all 15 User Reviews

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