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Morrissey
Years of Refusal
Campus Correspondent By Billy Sparks,
College of DuPage
Even though he’s no longer leading The Smiths, Morrissey is still an alternative rock icon who’s literally responsible for inspiring the careers of The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol and any other brooding ‘80s enthusiasts making music in present tense. But just because the underground icon first rose to fame in what’s now considered a retro era doesn’t make him any less relevant today, as evidenced throughout the superb Years of Refusal.
The project is his third studio CD in a mere five years, which is virtually lightening speed for a fella who took the front half of the 2000s off to catch his breath. Nonetheless, he approaches momentum building anthems “Something Is Squeezing My Skull” and “Mama Lay Softly On the Riverbed” with full steam ahead. “Black Cloud” doesn’t drive with the same degree of intensity (even if guest guitarist Jeff Beck shines), but finds Moz’s voice in fine form, moaning with his signature misery in tact that simultaneously uplifts the listener in the same breath.
Though he’s still down on love, there’s something noticeably empowering about the heart on sleeve ballad “I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris” and the jarring swansong “I’m OK By Myself.” Still, it’s the militant beats of “One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell” and stirring strums of “When I Last Spoke to Carol” that evoke The Smiths in its prime, even if a reunion is highly unlikely between the acrimonious outfit. Perhaps this album’s very title is a reminder of Morrissey’s reinforced stance, and if he continues cranking out collections as alluring as Years of Refusal, there’s no reason to return.
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