Oh, Morrissey, I’ve tried really hard with your new album but I can’t do it.  Twice through plus a bit is a good effort, admittedly I’ve been swapping cables, updating computers and packing boxes, but I’m just not getting this.  It all starts so promisingly, ‘My Love, I’d Do Anything’ has a rhythmic thumping feel.   However, the tone is set lyrically, and it does not ease off.

Teach your kids to recognize and to despise all the propaganda
Filtered down by the dead echelons mainstream media

After this some manic stuff starts.  ‘I Wish You Lonely’ is a serious but problematic track lyrically, particularly in armistice week. 

Tombs full of fools who gave their life upon command
Of monarchy, oligarch, head of state, potentate
And now never coming back, never coming back

But this is classic Morrissey, railing against the Monarchy as the album cover shows but with proper lyrics and a genuine viewpoint. But thereafter I am really struggling.

I do understand Morrissey has something to say and always has. You can’t really go on about Mozza’s opinions if you loved ‘Meat is Murder’ and ‘The Queen is Dead’ and the lyrics are right up there in respect of impact and getting to the point. But it is all a little fractious after a while. ‘Who will protect us from the Police?’ is possibly lyrical genius and moves us to the current Venezuelan issue but I’m not sure it works here, musically. ‘When you Open your Legs’ is another difficult listen, lyrically interesting though it is.  I really want to like this stuff from Morrissey but it is difficult.  I’m not sure you can gaily sing about Venezuela or ‘When you Open your Legs’, without attracting some degree of cynicism.

Isreal is my lyrical and musical hightlight and a track I can listen to often, it worth a download for sure.

Happily though there are lighter moments and ‘Jacky’s Only Happy when She’s on the Stage’ is a wonderful journey (though it turns a bit sour at the end) and ‘Spent the Day in Bed’ is a useful reminder a duvet day is the way forward for any who can.

In the end, I’m not sure where I am left with Morrissey.  He is a brilliant writer (his autobiography is one of the my favourites) and lyricist, still, I just think Johnny Marrs stock rises every time Morrissey releases a record (this is his 11th solo effort).

Lyrically, Morrissey will always have something to say, and often, I’ll agree with him, as in the lyric from ‘The Girl from Tel Aviv…’.

What do you think all these conflicts are for?
It’s just because the land weeps oil

To cheer myself up I went ahead and purchased a 24 bit copy of ‘In Rainbows’ (which really does cheer me up) so I can thank Morrissey for that today and the fact he also put me onto Tove Lo’s new album which sits next to his on the What’s New on Tidal page.  It’s not all bad.

Track Ratings

01 My Love, I’d Do Anything for You ****
02 I Wish You Lonely ****
03 Jacky’s Only Happy When She’s Up on the Stage ***
04 Home Is a Question Mark ***
05 Spent the Day in Bed ***
06 I Bury the Living ***
07 In Your Lap ****
08 The Girl from Tel-Aviv Who Wouldn’t Kneel ***
09 All the Young People Must Fall in Love ***
10 When You Open Up Your Legs **
11 Who Will Protect Us From the Police? **
12 Israel ****
______________________________________________________________
Album – Low in High School
Artist – Morrissey
Released – 17th November 2017 (written on the 17th but published a week later due to unforeseen circumstances)
Download This At Least – Isreal
Source – Tidal
Player – Oppo Sonica DAC
Amplification/Output – T+A AMP 8/JERN 14 DS/REL T5i
My Rating – 3.2