Titus Andronicus’ excellent 2010 album, The Monitor, delivered gravitas galore, by way of Lincoln speeches and plays on Springsteen lyrics. Follow-up Local Business finds Patrick Stickles and his Jersey rockers playing more to their punk sides, with mixed results.

Business opens confidently, with Stickles’ first words—“Okay, I think by now we’ve established everything is inherently worthless”—setting the thematic tone, namely that this album doesn’t give a f*ck what we think about it. The first three tracks then roll solidly by (the third, “Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape With the Flood of Detritus,” ranks with the best of all Titus tracks), and then … things get messy.

“Food Fight” cribs from the New York Dolls’ “Personality Crisis.” The words to “My Eating Disorder” get pretty tough to stomach. “(I Am the) Electric Man” comes off like a ’70s-rock spoof. And it all wraps up with an iffy 10-minute ballad.

The recommendation here: Buy the first three tracks and think of them as an EP, worthy of succeeding the mighty Monitor.