Years Of Refusal (2009)

Years Of Refusal (2009)

Morrissey’s return to the studio did not mean a reduction in touring; he played over 90 dates apiece for both the Tour of the Tormentors and the Greatest Hits Tour. And the tourload only strengthened his resolve to rock. Lead track “Something Is Squeezing My Skull” goes for that ‘77 pace, with Morrissey making thrilling leaps during the titular phrase and ever risking foolishness with his yodel-tempo on “please don’t gimme anymore”. (He comes dangerously, wonderfully close to yodeling on ace refuser “I’m OK By Myself”.) The apostrophe on “Mama Lay Softly on the Riverbed” begs “Bohemian Rhapsody” comparisons, but the martial gallop and dulcimer clang puts this a stone’s throw from symphonic metal. More than any point save Southpaw Grammar, the weirder pieces cohere, held by Morrissey’s livewire vocal performance.

Honestly, it’s the smartest possible move. Now firmly in the internet age, Morrissey could be relied upon to give pullquotes that read somewhere between tetchy and tone-deaf; had this record contained more than a couple ballads, it would have delighted Vauxhall devotees while convincing everyone else that’s where he should have been left. Not that he couldn’t cast further back: “When Last I Spoke to Carol” is a fine alternate-future Smiths tune, with flamenco-style guitar and an imaginative brass arrangement tipping their hats to his Latino fanbase. Jesse Tobias shakes off the influence of his previous employers, Boz Boorer plays like he’s just been given the gig, and producer Jerry Finn pushes his charge’s voice into showstopping realms. He’ll surely release another record soon enough — Boorer was recently quoted attesting to an “arsenal” of new songs — and if he chooses to strike a more stately pace, he’ll have more than earned the indulgence.