Los Campesinos! / Titus Andronicus

Form matters. It provides perspective, context, and can shape expectations. On record I found Titus Andronicus overblown and over-emotive - their aggro-indie rock seemed at odds with their plaintive vocals and sorrowful subject matter - not to mention the references to Shakespeare, Hunter S. Thompson, Brueghel, and Camus (Camus!). Seeing them live made them make sense to me. They still labor a bit too much with aspirations of importance, but they are operating in good faith. They mean what they say, and if it spills over to over-earnestness, then so be it. That said, I found it strange and a bit disappointing that lead singer Patrick Stickles faced away from the audience for most of the show. Their songs are filled with so much confrontational emotion and immediacy that they seem almost require a more direct approach. It's a shame since their set seemed to connect with the audience more so than any opener I've seen in a while.
Connecting with an audience does not seem to be a problem for Los Campesinos! Where as Titus Andronicus temper their caustic sound with dashes of melody, Los Campesinos! favor a more balanced combination of sweet and sour - one that is immediate, forceful, and performed with such vigor that only a curmudgeon could resist. They captured their sound so well on record that it was just a joy to see it replicated and amplified live. Songs from We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed were mixed almost equally with songs from their debut, and the combination did favors to each - the hooks from We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed sounded stronger and the songs from Hold On Now, Youngster... sounded more substantial. I hear a lot of smack against them for being too inside baseball for casual fans, but come on, care about references to K Records, handwritten liner notes, or whatever other indie-rock tripes when they're playing "You! Me! Dancing!" and you're, um, dancing.