"World Peace Is None Of Your Business" (4:33) - ★★★★
"Neal Cassady Drops Dead" (4:07) - ★★★★
"I’m Not A Man" (7:49) - ★★★★
"Istanbul" (4:44) - ★★★
"Earth Is The Loneliest Planet" (3:38) - ★★★
"Staircase At The University" (5:27) - ★★★★★
"The Bullfighter Dies" (2:03) - ★★
"Kiss Me A Lot" (4:05) - ★★★
"Smiler With Knife" (5:17) - ★★★
"Kick The Bride Down The Aisle" (5:18) - ★★★★
"Mountjoy" (5:04) - ★★★★
"Oboe Concerto" (4:06) - ★★★★
Annnnnnnd…now my heart is confused? No, full. No wait – confused.
Oh well, even if a critical conclusion is difficult to draw upon at this stage, one thing I am sure of anyhow is that I’ve been dubious from the offset.
Yes – despite a fantastic piece of cover design, the music thus far has seemed only to disappoint. The lead single and title track failed to quite hit the mark with an overtly lengthy opening and a delivery of subject matter that was just too frank for a lyricist as famed for articulation as Morrissey. Then the ensuing “Istanbul” came along, featuring a somewhat more sardonic and morbid theme, but still lacking in wit. “Earth Is The Loneliest Planet”, the third single, was more in-line with Moz’ previous output, detailing unsuccessful participation in both genders and commenting on the isolating atmosphere of failure, but still feeling too obvious – too lazy. My biggest fears were realized through “The Bullfighter Dies”, an incontestably poor track in the man’s discography, utilising an unfunny Dr. Suess rhymes and references to the artist’s vegetarianism that were offensively short-sighted, giving the 2 minute would-be an arrogant air.
With that single output also coming without physical release or new artwork, one might understand how a fan of one of British music’s most aesthetically pleasing artists might be slightly cheesed off. Similarly, before hearing the LP, I was painfully aware that the hit and miss four songs so far would comprise a third of the final track-listing.
So what does the jury say now that “World Peace…” can be examined as a whole?
Well, immediately, one can hear the improvement musically – and that’s something important to remember when I’m slating the singles; despite their lacking lyrics, the backing band’s playing hasn’t ceased to amaze me, impressing with each and every opportunity, from the Pixies-esque screeching solo on “World Peace…” itself, to the fuzzy bass drum crashes on “Neal Cassady Drops Dead”. The instrumentation on this album is sublimely experimental, but this is very well executed and, therein, exciting, to the point that even as it strays into synth territory, which was practically spat on in the days of The Smiths, it never sounds wrong. Those staple and expected moments of indie-rock aural orgasm are here as well, don’t fret! The chord sequence of “Staircase…” will melt your soul, with the rhythmic, anthem-like strumming of “Mountjoy” suggesting a new fan-favourite set closer for live performances, the drum smashes in the background cementing its enormous attitude.
Another aspect perhaps worth crediting is the incredible value-for-money here – with the exceptions of “The Bullfighter Dies” and “Earth Is The Loneliest Planet”, not a single song is under 4 minutes in length, meaning that for your standard 12-track Moz LP you’re getting almost an hour of music. However, that’s not always a brilliant thing – “I’m Not A Man” features well over a minute of boring field recordings in its intro, with the title track suffering similarly for its mundane opening.
So far then, we’ve got 4 singles whose fantastic music can’t save the naff lyrics and some over-indulgent album filler. Sweet Jesus, what’s happened?
Well, just when you might be asking yourself that question, all the things you most love about Morrissey resurface. One, is the rhyming of ‘T-bone steak’ and ‘cancer of the prostate’ just prior to the massive climax of “I’m Not A Man” are reminiscent of that razor-sharp sense of humour for which our hero is so often getting into bother. Then of course, there is the surprising and subsequently hilarious anti-feminist sentiment of “Kick The Bride Down The Aisle” and the funeral-like lamenting of the jazz age in “Oboe Concerto”.
My personal highlight and exclusive moment of rescue however was “Staircase At The University”, whose sympathetic tribute describes a suicidal student, pressured by her father, tired beyond care and now lying dead at the bottom of a stairwell, her head split three ways. What a fantastic concept for a pop song!? What a brave concept for a pop-song. For me, this was the only totally fantastic song on this album - the only one that made me laugh out loud, the only real, joking, sarcastic and superfluous trace of the Morrissey I know and love.
These moments are so brilliant in fact, that the other songs’ shortcomings really pulls the record down, highlighting the vast contrast between pure genius and dull mediocrity. Most tragically, some of the better moments have been relegated to the bonus disc in the deluxe release – “Scandinavia” opens with the unforgettable ‘I was bored in a fjord’, whilst “Forgive Someone” seems to quite brutally self-reflect on the aggressive critique of the conventional outsider in Moz’s lyrics. Though even here, there are weaknesses to remind us of better days – “Art-Hounds” features more of that Theodore Geisel touch with the rhyming of ‘table’ with ‘fat aunt mabel’ and equally weak, nursery school-esque stabs at pop poetry.
I listen to this record and think immediately of “Viva Hate”, an LP that was written and recorded less than 12 months after the release of The Smiths’ final “Strangeways, Here We Come”. It’s a fantastic record, and arguably the high-point of the solo canon – but, it did come out in 1988 and that was a long time ago. So then I think of “You Are The Quarry”, possibly an even better album contextually, coming after a 7-year hiatus and re-affirming the fandom that the waning memories of grandeur were no delusion.
When you realise that that was 10 years ago, Morrissey’s intermittent shoddiness today is suddenly less forgivable. Can I really pretend to care when the very prospect of new material excites me so much? Not really. Though my expectations are certainly damaged – and listening again through a 55 minute LP I waited 5 years for, I think it might be ever so slightly irreversible.
★★★