NEAL CASSADY DROPS DEAD
invokes a strong feeling of nostalgia with the intro and thuds into a heavy, pounding, electrified orchestra. This song grabs you by the balls and demands your attention, and theres so much going on musically, that you have no choice but to get completely lost in it. Then, before I know what’s happened to me, I’ve been spun around and picked up to a world where guitars are lighter than air and are being picked just for me, and the I’m promptly dropped again into the thudding, gracefully sludgy pounding melody. I mourn for Neal Cassady, as my heart skips a few beats.
IM NOT A MAN
The intro to I’m not a man, is transcendent, a minute and a half of being transported to another dimension, then, ambient poppy synth chimes in along with beautifully melodic lyrics. Ominously
reminiscent of Ouija Board. To paraphrase, “I’m shaking, look at me. I’m quaking.” It builds up into a very danceable melody and without skipping a beat, lulls back into a relaxing ambient lullaby. I am so f***ing in love with this song. The last minute is like a fight in my heart with laser guns. I’m not a man, paints a picture with notes that I’ve been looking at my whole life, but unable to put the feelings into place.
STAIRCASE AT THE UNIVERSITY
Staircase starts off demanding attention. Heavy, thumping, melodic, and it unfolds like a flower into another flawless pop hit. “You’re no child of mine, and as far as I’m concerned, you’re dead.” I don’t know where Morrissey has been hiding, but here he is. This song is about pressure and a vulnerable time and oh, so, f***ing, relatable. Claps. There are claps, for f***s sake. I am not even close to kidding when I say that this song has brought tears to my eyes. I haven’t even mentioned how perfect the instrumentals are. The guitar solo at the end blew me away completely.
KISS ME A LOT
Reminds me immediately of Jack The Ripper with the intro and then synth opens into a trumpet and the rhythm slips in seamlessly into a tune that demands moving to the beat. Strong bass line, flamenco inspired guitar picking, jingly drums, trumpets, crooning… this is everything a Morrissey song should be. He is a living legend, and an indie god.
SMILER WITH KNIFE
Starts immediately, like a story being told. Beautiful acoustic, soothing and tragic explodes into a heavy ballad and back into a soothing serenade, and before I know it, I’ve been picked up and transported to that ethereal dimension. This is the most tragic song I have ever heard. The pain is true and and beautiful. So good at transforming, this song is truly a story of tragedy and loss, and violation, and strength. This song punches rape culture in the f***ing balls and demands to be heard. This feels like possibly the most important song he’s ever written. f***, maybe the most sincere song ever written, period. Again, the instrumentals are flawless and masterfully mixed. As it fades out, I’m reeling.
KICK THE BRIDE DOWN THE AISLE
ORGANS! f***! I love organs, and the intro makes me feel like I’m sitting in a well polished wooden pew, and the guitar starts, and Morrissey starts singing, and the sermon f***ing begins. Whimsical pop rock, fun. This song has a punching presence that I want to feel reverberate throughout my body. Truly whimsical, and clever, and biting. Kristeen’s backing vocals are haunting in more ways than one, and the music builds and falls effortlessly, like the rest of the songs, when he starts singing again, it’s like a whisper that could flatten a mountain, and music begins again. I am loving this song, but it makes me feel somewhat sad.
MOUNTJOY
Clangy guitar, thick reverberating acoustic, I distinctly hear a slide… very blues-y and folk sounding, Almost like an old protest song. The most straight forward song of the bunch, melodically, until almost hallway through, when the music builds and becomes richer than a simple protest song. Everything is building so subtlley I almost didn’t notice, I’ve hung on every word. This makes me think of the beauty of accepting your plight, depression, sadness, pain, things everything experiences. “We all lose, rich or poor”.
OBOE CONCERTO
Holy f***, is this an Animal Collective album, or a Morrissey album. Noise intro slips into another melodic masterpiece. This is another bass heaving, jingly, beat I can only describe as a rock inspired waltz with undertones and notes that can only be described as trippy. Creeping, spy vs spy build up… there go those lasers again, and even a clarinet. Everything blends so perfectly in this song, it could be a f***ing cake. That’s what this is, a f***ing musical cake. Topped perfectly with the last verse, and then into the outro fading out and my head is spinning. I am in heaven.
SCANDINAVIA
I’ve wanted to hear this song for a really long time. This sound AMAZING. Long have I waited for the crisp notes on the heavy drums and exotic notes with bird like vocal melodies. Stab me in your own time, Morrissey, this song is gorgeous. It’s funny singing along to a song that feels like something you’re hearing for the first time. This song is consistent and ends the exact same way it began, unprotesting.
ONE OF OUR OWN
I don’t even have words for the intro to this song, but it made me tingle. This one is another story, and it’s painting a vivid picture with the mood of the music. There’s a perfect mix of electric sounding synth and whimsical, very exact sounding instrumentals. A job half done isn’t done, and this song does not fall short, at all. The bass is heavy and the highs and crystal clear and clean. This song sounds like a marriage between old Morrissey and new with so many fresh sounds and beats.
DRAG THE RIVER
Soothing water sounds, fresh sounding guitar, clear bass, unique hook building into another danceable ballad and explodes at every turn. This is a serious old throwback. The seaside town is doing alright, if this song is any indication. Very much a rock song, and very, very, genuine. All the instruments are working so perfectly together and playing off the vocals impeccably. The fade out is wonderful.
FORGIVE SOMEONE
Where the f*** am I and what have you done with Morrissey? He is BACK! This song begins with a wonderful synth hook and into the jingly drums and straight into the vocals, with what sounds like a string quartet on a Sunday afternoon. It’s impossible not to tap your toes to this song. This song is so… happy sounding. It’s a very refreshing composition and makes me think of simpler times. This is the sweetest love song I have ever heard. It ends on such a higher note that flows into a fade out like a beautiful waterfall.
JULIE IN THE WEEDS
This intro is so Lynchian and when the music starts, it’s strong and uncompromising. Heavy, yet, soothing, I can’t help but close my eyes and lose myself in the melody. Another love song, that is happier than I’ve ever heard Morrissey sound. I don’t know if Morrissey has finally put some demons to rest, but you can’t help but feel light hearted when listening to this. The lyrics, however, remain biting and real. This song is like finding beauty in the bullshit cracks of life, and laughing. I spit in the face of depression. RAWR!
ART HOUNDS
100 percent different than I thought it would be. Such a wonderful swing intro turns into so many bells. For a moment, I’m thinking of A Streetcar Named Desire. God dammit, this is so clever and the music is once again flawless. The chorus is transcendent and it’s so beautiful it makes me want to repent for my sins. I’m sorry I ever doubted you, Morrissey. I am not an art hound. It is taking every bit of focus I have to not stand up and dance right now. I want to hear this song as loud is physically possible. It falls to a hush and then picks up immediately in a way that made my heart flutter. “If you cannot stand this fake world, take my hand”. This is the Morrissey I fell in love with.
if this is the last album he wants to give us, I would be okay with it, because it’s flawless and perfect. 10/10