Titus Andronicus - A Productive Cough (Album Review)
Friday, 23 March 2018
Written by Milly McMahon
Photo: Ray Concepcion
The Titus Andronicus line up is a merry go round revolving around singer, songwriter and guitarist Patrick Stickles. Each new iteration has yielded fresh, unique noise-scapes, making them less a band and more an anarchic art project.
Three years on from the triple album punk opera ‘The Most Lamentable Tragedy’, Stickles has presided over their most dramatic about-face yet. ‘A Productive Cough’ fuses together a cacophony of instruments, but in a manner that pushes the band further away from the punk fury of ‘The Monitor’ towards raw production and songs that might work at a barn dance.
What is starkly apparent here is Stickles’ die-hard desire to achieve total originality. He knowingly provokes a feeling of bewilderment in new listeners and demands an open mind from returning ones. He endeavours to retain only those who are fully invested. Mass appeal is not Titus’s jam.
To established fans, ‘A Productive Cough’ is at times comparable to the band’s previous four albums in terms of content, with adjustments made to suit the sensibilities of the man behind the microphone. Just seven tracks long, this ‘70s rock compendium launches immediately into a sarcastically tinged ode to Americana called Number One (In New York).
The intelligent arrangements are densely packed with metaphors, but they play out with an air of simplicity. And yet, the music feels too ironic to be relaxing. Stickles’ voice is harshly coated with aggression, which gives rise to unsettling crescendos.
The most pleasant moment on the album is another left-field choice: a loose, rambling cover of Bob Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone. It’s an odd addition to the line up that finds a growly Stickles bringing authenticity to the track, which is a distantly easy listen. That’s perhaps not a quality the Titus founder would appreciate, though.
Real Talk is another standout moment. It’s a raucous singalong that exhibits the true essence of Titus Andronicus and the beauty of the track lies with the band's ability to conjure a layered, rousing aesthetic seemingly from nothing. Famously, Titus are incredible live and this track promises to be a highlight on their current stripped back guitar and piano run.
Titus Andronicus offer a refreshing antidote to formulaic chart music, doing their thang regardless of trends or the promise of popularity. ‘A Productive Cough’ grows more interesting with every listen. It’s all too easy to write it off as inaccessible, but investing in this music is rewarding.
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