Titus Andronicus Announce New Album An Obelisk, Share First Single

Titus Andronicus have announced their new album, An Obelisk, due out June 21 via Merge Records. The announcement comes alongside the release of the album’s first single, a 1980s-esque, punk-adjacent banger titled “(I Blame) Society.”

An Obelisk, the sixth album from the indie-rock four-piece, will feature production by punk legend and recent tour-mate Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü, Sugar), and promises a fiery contrast to the milder trappings of their 2018 album, A Productive Cough. Where A Productive Cough sought stripped-down heartland sounds with softer, studio-finished edges, An Obelisk rings reminiscent of bands like Agent Orange with an intensity sharpened just for the stage. More upbeat, rock-heavy cadences lend the album a brisk 38-minute runtime—the shortest of the band’s discography.

“While the common ‘punk rocker’ will take this as license to piss on the street and generally pursue a lifestyle of nihilistic hedonism, the true ‘punk’ will recognize the price of this freedom,” Patrick Stickles (lead vocals, guitar) explains of the album’s concept. “An Obelisk tells the story of one particular individual, someone maybe a lot like you but certainly a lot like me, scouring linty pockets, trying to pay that bill.”

Watch the lyric video for “(I Blame) Society” and give a listen to a 2016 Titus Andronicus medley from the Paste archives below. Find the band’s tour dates further down and preorder their album here.

An Obelisk Tracklist:
01. Just Like Ringing a Bell
02. Troubleman Unlimited
03. (I Blame) Society
04. My Body and Me
05. Hey Ma
06. Beneath the Boot
07. On the Street
08. Within the Gravitron
09. The Lion Inside
10. Tumult Around the World

An Obelisk Album Art:

Titus Andronicus Tour Dates:

June
21 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Rough Trade (Record Release Show)

July
23 – Washington, D.C. @ Comet Ping Pong
26 – Carrboro, N.C. @ Cat’s Cradle (MrG30 Festival)
27 – Fredericksburg, Va. @ Fredericksburg All Ages
28 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ PhilaMOCA