Morrissey –

“Years of

Refusal”

Steven Patrick Morrissey has had a surprisingly successful career following the breakup of The Smiths, undoubtedly one of the greatest bands of the 1980s. The former frontman’s falling out with guitarist Johnny Marr is one of the most well-known feuds in the music world, and still continues today to a minimal degree. Morrissey is adamant that a reunion will never happen, and Marr typically shares this sentiment.

After The Smith’s final album, which was released in 1987, Morrissey went solo. His debut album “Viva Hate” received rave reviews, probably due to the fact that it sounded similar to the direction The Smiths were headed in by the end of the ’80s.

Morrissey continued to steadily release solo albums through the ’90s, which were also fairly-well received. By the 2000s, Morrissey was beginning to slip into a state of putting out albums that weren’t necessarily reinventing or extraordinary. 2004’s “You Are the Quarry” boasted ridiculous cover art of the former Smiths frontman shooting a Tommy gun, but housed some of the best songs he had crafted in years. Two years later, Morrissey released “Ringleader of the Tormentors,” an album that was good, but suffered from a little too much production and a lot more use of orchestral instruments than normal. Morrissey had definitely distanced himself from his old ways of making music, and it wasn’t bad at all. However, “Tormentors” proved that Morrissey was destined to begin a slow decline and eventually disappear from the thoughts and minds of those who enjoyed his music throughout the years. Enter “Years of Refusal” – one of the best Morrissey records of all time.

From the album’s opener, “Something is Squeezing My Skull,” it is instantly evident Morrissey has embraced a refreshing sound by tapping his Smiths-era sound. Still, the record sounds more like a Morrissey album than The Smiths, which proves the singer-songwriter is not trying to live in the past or revive the band he hopes will stay dead and buried six feet under the ground.

The first lines sung in the first song are “I’m doing very well … I can block out the present and the past now.” With a mix of crunching, grungy guitars, dissonant tones of crescendoing vocals and additional guitar work, it’s evident “Years of Refusal” is the album Morrissey has wanted to make since the end of the ’90s. It just took him almost a decade to accomplish it.

“Years of Refusal” is an extremely powerful album. The rest of the album is a rollercoaster of emotions in both Morrissey’s lyrics and structure of songwriting. Songs are absolutely beautiful in arrangement – from the driving, but somewhat slower “Mama Lay Softly on the Riverbed” to the strongest and best track on the album, “It’s Not Your Birthday Anymore,” Morrissey pours out his heart and soul in his music.

The album is a must-listen for both those who have followed Morrissey since the ’80s and for those who have given up on him in recent times. “Years of Refusal” proves Morrissey isn’t washed up by any means, and will continue to make music worth listening to.

Final Rating: 8.5