An Obelisk
by Titus Andronicus
  • Record Label: Merge
  • Release Date: Jun 21, 2019
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
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  1. Under The Radar
    Jul 30, 2019
    85
    An Obelisk is fast, rugged fun. Blues dirge for your rocking chair ("My Body and Me"), vocal harmonies ("The Lion Inside"), and almost funk ("Within the Gravitation").
  2. The Line of Best Fit
    Jun 20, 2019
    85
    The songs here beg to fall apart but are kept in tight reign by Chris Wilson's drums and R.J. Gordon’s flurrying bass while Stickles and guitarist Liam Betson slay riffs and trade licks.
  3. Consequence
    Jun 18, 2019
    83
    Titus Andronicus didn’t need to further prove themselves with this album, but they did anyway.
  5. AllMusic
    Jun 21, 2019
    80
    It simply finds Stickles and his crew moving from one position of strength to another, and it's as bold and exciting as anything they've delivered so far.
  6. PopMatters
    Jun 20, 2019
    80
    An Obelisk manages to capture Titus Andronicus in a disarming, unsuspecting mood: one of equal parts maturity, volume, and simplicity.
  7. Kerrang!
    Jun 18, 2019
    80
    A powerful and worthy addition to the band's increasingly diverse catalogue. [15 Jun 2019, p.55]
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  8. The 405
    Jul 3, 2019
    75
    An Obelisk is not quite as statuesque as it wants to be, though it does demonstrate the band’s ethos in a tightly-wound package, and is a solid addition to a repertoire that continues to make a Titus Andronicus release unmissable.
  9. Glide Magazine
    Jun 25, 2019
    70
    While the overall tone and style fits him and the band well, the majority of songs are fine yet not particularly memorable. A Productive Cough looks like a mid-career outlier now as Titus Andronicus settle back into their pub rock punk hybrid on An Obelisk.
  10. Pitchfork
    Jun 24, 2019
    70
    A Productive Cough felt more like a genre exercise than a passion project, and that’s true of An Obelisk, too, except this time the genre is a far better fit.
  11. Exclaim
    Jun 18, 2019
    70
    It's an in-your-face, no-frills rock record that contrasts with the slower tracks of A Productive Cough, reminding fans that no matter what happens, this band can still rock. For those looking for the vintage punk Titus Andronicus, this record will do just fine, even if it doesn't quite match the high points of their best work.
  12. Uncut
    Jun 18, 2019
    70
    Previous weighty concepts have been scrapped in favour of intense focus. [Jul 2019, p.37]
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 8
  3. Negative: 1 out of 8
  1. Haksawjimthugin
    Dec 7, 2019
    10
    This is the most raucous and driven album yet from one of the most inconsistent bands in the scene. The poignant exposition of our complicitThis is the most raucous and driven album yet from one of the most inconsistent bands in the scene. The poignant exposition of our complicit guilt in modern America on (I Blame)Society still rocks like a ****… Full Review »
  2. meanjoelgreen
    Jun 21, 2019
    10
    Mission accomplished! Born to bruise. Everyone's a critic but most people love guitar solos
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