Years of Refusal

MorrisseyYears of RefusalIs it just me, or did Morrissey become a full-blown adult when we weren’t looking? Maybe it’s the baby in his arms or the chest hair or the round face we see on the cover of Years of Refusal, Morrissey’s ninth proper album since leaving The Smiths. Swollen jowls, hairy arms and a filled-out frame. His voice, too, seems thicker - maybe even a tad serious. His lyrics, however, continue to be those of a youthful, world-weary mind - one bent on being the perpetual security quilt for the Born Loser Crowd.

The third in a series of comeback records, Refusal is a loud and full rock answer to both the poppy sounds of 2004’s You Are the Quarry and the overly orchestrated sound of 2006’s Ringleader of the Tormentors. All three records have surely depicted an aging Moz, but Refusal is the first one that feels like the work of a mid-life artist. Rather than simply gathering together a strong group of tunes that could each easily work as stand-alone singles (i.e.  albums like Quarry, Viva Hate and his first solo singles collection, Bona Drag), the Moz here seems to be more of a serious album-maker, favoring cohesion, mood and message over, well, effectiveness. Grown man stuff.

Produced by Jerry Finn (Green Day, Sum 41, blink-182, AFI, etc.) in Los Angeles, Refusal tends to resemble the Moz’ half-great 1992 album, Your Arsenal, more than his last Finn-produced work, Quarry. Last time out the duo won universal acclaim for their poppy, punchy set of simple songs - some even hailing it as Morrissey’s best work since his The Smiths’ Strangeways, Here We Come. And it was. Well, it was good - good at being all the things the Moz excells at - funny, poppy, dramatic, clever, literate, etc. A solid return to form. Refusal, unfortunately, is not so memorable. The lyrics are a fun read, as always, but the device (and by that, I mean an almost “mall punk” approach to Finn’s bombastic production) doesn’t quite hold up after multiple listens. That’s to say that the element of immediacy on most Moz classics - think “Everyday is Like Sunday,” “Irish Blood, English Heart” and so on - is missing, despite Finn’s over-the-top approach.

Instead, we get muscular rock songs that leave little to the imagination. A more, err, manly version of our man singing his sap over thick arrangements supplied by touring guitarist Boz Boorer, former Moz guitarist Alain Whyte and former Red Hot Chili Pepper Jesse Tobias. Boorer, who supplied most of the music on Quarry, offers the most fitting backdrops. Supplying the real draw here - the lyrics and singing - is, of course, Morrissey, who also guides the way of his band. Arsenal sees the Moz back in his somewhat combative stance, talking trash and taking names, just as he’s always done. He’s an aged artist, and, despite the fact that this record doesn’t work quiet as well as his recent triumphs, he often seems comfortable with where he’s at and where he’s headed.   6.5/10

Written by G. William Locke