Album Review - Morrissey - Years of Refusal

Just a couple of days ago, the other Honduran volunteer in Finland returned to Honduras. In the short while we got to befriend ourselves, not much, since we lived on opposite sides of Finland, we got to become good friends. In our last discussion, we retook a topic we had actually had on the first day we met. He, a 30 year old guy is famous among the volunteer circle for his successful flirtations, and numerous women he has attracted during his stay in Europe, a trend he had followed for some years before the trip. I find him really similar in that sense to some of my friends, an attitude, than even though it doesn't concern me, if I think too much about it, I certainly despise, however, deep in my heart, there is a male human sense of envy, for their possession of that of which I lack. I think it over and I don't really wish to be like that, and it actually scares me that on the before mentioned conversation, I found myself identified with my friend, when he explained how his teen years were hard in that sense, and how his current lifestyle had been formed by the harshness of life and bad experiences. Why should I be discussing this here? Because after thinking it over, I conclude I don't wanna be like my friend, but I certainly fear to end up on the opposite side, a side which is represented by asexual hero and The Smiths frontman and vocalist, Morrissey, especially when I look back at my lyric books and read some excerpts written after I first met with his band masterpiece, The Queen Is Dead. "I am an unlucky soul, poor attractiveness and too much love" is purely extracted from Morrissey's mind.

But less, about my musical career and more about Moz's one, I will say that his work with The Smiths has set them as one of my favorite bands, and even after the band broke up, he's been having high times, still extracting water from the same old well of uncorresponded love. However universal this topic might be, and how most if not all of us will feel identify with it, only Morrissey has been able to do it over a 30 year career without getting to the point of annoyance or boredom. While his quality has rarely dropped, you still can tell a Smiths song from a Moz solo song, called it his teenage years, or the other musician *cough* Mars *cough*.

Years of Refusal is not the exception, since Morrissey rarely goes astray from the road he has been following for the last years. "Diazepam, tamazepan, lithium" sings Morrissey in Something is Squeezing My Skull, introducing the antagonist anti-depressants in a song where he ends up pleading not to be given anymore. "I can sink much lower than usual, but there's nothing I can do to make you mine" sings the Moz on Black Cloud, featuring Jeff Beck on guitar. And if it is still not clear enough, see how a road accident makes him concluded that "there are things worst in life than never being someone's sweetie" in That's How People Grow Up.

Moz is still doing quite fine in lyrics, he has even make a line like "Why do I smile At people who I'd much rather kick in the eye ?" sound good. Musically however, the album strongest points are the four singles, Last Time I Saw Carol, some nice trumpet addition on One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell, and a powerful chorus on what seems a reprise from Strangeways, Here We Come, Unhappy Birthday. So, Morrissey still hasn't emptied his well, something he eventually will, unless, the final highlight track of the album hints us into a change of inspiration, or a more adventurous release, when Moz concludes "After all these years, I find I'm OK by myself". I wish the best for Morrissey since he has brought so much good music. As for myself, well, I just wish not to hit any of the opposite poles mentioned on this review. Something in between is quite okay.

Morrissey - I'm Okay by Myself