Adam KeysMorrissey – Low In High School (BMG)
Genre – Indie
A true Marmite figure, Morrissey splits the public. He’s eccentric, outspoken, and a little odd, but he never fails to garner the attention of the public. From his political and moral views to antics like refusing to play because it was too cold onstage, Morrissey is never far from a headline, but in amongst the controversy is some phenomenal music.
Low In High School is his first album in three years, and it is very… well, very Morrissey. There is no one else like the former Smiths’ frontman, and this album brings his many talents and flaws to the playground in one huge sweep.
As an artist, Morrissey has be revered for his literary knowledge, his wordplay and his witty references to popular culture, and he wastes no time delivering all three in opening number My Love, I’d Do Anything For. Accompanied by an array of instruments, with some beautiful riffs interweaving trumpets and his fabulously extravagant vocals, this track is typical of Morrissey’s solo career.
The opening number, along with Jackie’s Only Happy When She’s Up On The Stage, are firmly set in his trademark style, and make for a brilliant opening to the album. The lyrics are clever (they tell a story), the music is exciting and although it is very similar to his previous material, it feels fresh.
Throughout the album, Morrissey experiments with numerous vocal styles. This comes to light most clearly in I Bury The Living, a heartfelt song filled with passion, chanting and various sonic experiments reminiscent of Peter Doherty’s Hamburg Demonstrations.
Although this album is packed with quality, there are a couple of questionable tracks. Surprisingly, Morrissey has chosen one of these as the first single from the album – I Spent The Day In Bed. Lyrically, this track is weak by Morrissey’s standards (above average for many other artists), and lacks the panache that you would historically associate with him.
Overall, Low In High School is a welcome return from Morrissey, and fans will definitely not be disappointed. It’s clever, it’s funny, it’s experimental and it flows together for an extremely easy listen, with each song standing out for the right reasons.
RUSHONROCK RATED 9/10 So very, very Morrissey!
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