Oh, Morrissey. So much to answer for.
The former Smiths ringleader and self-described “humansexual” released his twelfth solo studio album in May, a collection of covered songs from the 1960s and ‘70s backed by such names as Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and Broken Social Scene’s Ariel Engle. It’s a release anticipated by just about anyone with a political affiliation and a penchant for music by myopic British men, and Morrissey has managed to pull off the impressive feat of delivering by disappointment.
Following the release of such snarky records as Low in High School, 2019’s California Son is an eclectic assortment of covers that pretend to be innocuous. For the most part, that’s accurate, but the inclusion of such tracks as “Only a Pawn in Their Game” or the opaquer “Lenny’s Tune” serve as poorly-disguised political and personal statements that work towards two conflicting goals: public appeasement and playing dumb.
Morrissey’s latest effort deserves criticism for reasons other than its obvious political pandering, particularly in its composition and execution. As frontman of The Smiths, Morrissey displayed a talent for combining seemingly unrelated elements of pop in the band’s songs, a trait that is alarmingly absent in California Son, in which tired tropes and clichés are used to reinterpret classics in a way that feels more like a cheap cover band’s takes than a genuine creative effort.
The album’s opening track, “Morning Starship,” originally composed and sung by Jobriath, relies entirely on space-age guitar effects, cascading synthesizers, and Morrissey singing in a gleeful, decidedly out-of-character cadence more reminiscent of a Broadway trophy boy than the glum Englishman he spent years portraying himself as. While it could be argued that a fresher, brighter take on his delivery is a welcome change of pace, it’s difficult to appreciate in a track that plays more like a cheesy, half-psychedelic musical theater mockery of synthpop. Between trite staccato licks, keyboard operatics, and major-key power chords, Morrissey even graces us with a set of “la la la’s” that wouldn’t be out of place in a 2010s Top 40 hit.
Matters don’t improve much in the next entry, a take on Joni Mitchell’s “Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow.” Over the top of what sounds like a discarded Steely Dan instrumental smashed against the ambient section of a trip-hop song, Morrissey delivers Mitchell’s lyrics in a voice that barely deviates from two octaves, consequently reducing what was once a meditation on the impermanence of infatuation to a forgettable padding track. Even the surface-level “subversiveness” of a man covering it is lost as a result of his deadpan approach – though it’s not like such a thing would have saved the song regardless. During Morrissey’s time with The Smiths, he acknowledged that the band’s playful homoerotic teasing was slowly becoming less of a shock, and this was in the 1980s; covering a song peppered with references to a dying relationship with a man, whether allegorical or not, is nowhere close to edgy in the current year. It just isn’t like the old days anymore.
The album’s third track, a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Only Pawns in Their Game,” is likely the worst offender on this record, both in terms of message and style. Dylan’s song is about the assassination of the Civil Rights-era activist Medgar Evars, but portrays his assassin as a tool of the wealthy elites to sow discord among Americans through their radicalization of poor, disaffected whites. (This sounds familiar.) Dylan’s song was controversial in itself, and it’s likely that his depiction of Evars’ assassin as a victim much like she was is somewhat odd. Morrissey, however, has managed to obliterate the song’s subtext, both by virtue of covering it to begin with and through his method of doing so. By covering this song, Morrissey has succeeded in appealing to nobody in particular. He certainly did not gain any sympathy among the mainstream outlets that decried him for his comments and behavior in support of what they deem a hateful ideology, and he definitely did not win over the hearts of those whose interest was piqued by his apparent support for a populist cause. If the disaster of its messaging wasn’t enough, “Pawns” is given an instrumental track consisting of march cadence-style drumlines, drones, and organs, as if the song was some kind of funeral-march-goes-pop performance by an overly enthusiastic high school band.
The next song, Buffy Saint-Marie’s “Suffer the Little Children,” is a rather meek attempt at discordant eeriness, something Morrissey believed would be possible if he somehow combined a rhythmic piano playing flat notes, honky-tonk inflection, and punctuating horns in a formula that might be something more than its parts, but ultimately makes for a track similarly lacking a punch (as does every other song on the album). Its subject matter is likewise not well-served by Morrissey’s already-tired, half-effective bravado, and if anything becomes nothing but an odd inclusion on an album marked by a lack of cohesive soundscapes or personality. It’s a far cry from The Smiths’ own “Suffer Little Children,” which one would have thought Morrissey might have used as a kind of blueprint. Of course he didn’t, however, given his apparent effort to distance himself from the original sound and archetype of The Smiths as much as humanly possible.
Phil Ochs’ “Days of Decision” is a slice of what sounds most like Americana, if the Spector-like “wall of sound” electric guitar and electronic flourishes are ignored. In many ways, “Days” serves as a fleeting glimpse of what this album might have sounded like had Morrissey not gone for an ill-fitting maximalist approach to every song. Moz’s vocal delivery on this song comes closest to sounding at least somewhat emotional, and had it remained solely acoustic, it would be the crowning jewel of this album. Of course, this is all mere speculation, and only time will tell if Morrissey eventually remembers that less can often be more.
The album’s middle track lacks just as much character as every other: It’s Roy Orbison’s “It’s Over,” a cover featuring a mishmash of the same reverb, theatrics, and crescendo that ostensibly serve to create the crushing impact of the song’s depressing end-of-relationship theme. The reality is, as usual, more than lackluster. There seems to be little room for organics on this album, and “It’s Over” is a prime example. It’s almost as if Morrissey had thrown darts on a board to determine whether or not to use his falsetto on each track, and the end result is an alarming lack of style and appropriateness for the subject matter. Solemnity in either delivery or instrumentation is nowhere to be found on this album, with Morrissey instead favoring the musical equivalent of salad dressing.
“Wedding Bell Blues” is up next, featuring backing vocals from Armstrong. This cover of Laura Nyro’s song uses the hallmark piano and four-four drums that were typical of the era that Morrissey is covering, like “Saturdays in the Park,” and likely contains the most honest portrayal of the original piece’s intent out of any song on this album. It’s unfortunate that Morrissey’s newfound appreciation for the era’s tone has to occur on a song to which he didn’t bring any originality, and also for this to be the track featuring one of his more star-studded guests, who merely offers easily-forgotten backing vocals. Perhaps in some parallel universe, Armstrong was given the chance to share the microphone with Morrissey and inject what surely would have been a unique, pop-punk energy into the track, but as it is, this bland rendition is what we are left with.
The eighth installment is Dionne Warwick’s “Loneliness Remembers What Happiness Forgets.” It’s the album’s shortest track, at two minutes and nine seconds. In that time, we’re given what sounds like the soundtrack to a Tesco advertisement overdubbed with a handful of synthesized strings. Morrissey’s singing, again, feels like forced showmanship, with a derivative two-part rhythm occasionally interspersed with school choir-inspired seasoning, such as in the song’s final few notes, which the Moz concludes with an extended low note coming from the bottom of his throat. Happiness may cause us to forget quite a bit, but we don’t need it to forget this song as soon as it ends.
Morrissey’s rendition of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap’s “Lady Willpower” is an earsplitting cacophony of snare drum, horns, and what could only be a random man strumming chords on a display model at Guitar Center. The voice Morrissey adopts on this song wavers between a wobbly mumble, or the same performing-arts tomfoolery that he’s trotted out with such gusto on previous tracks, albeit this time with an extra helping of forced vibrato. It’s a song that begins with unearned triumph and concludes with nothing more than a sustained trumpet squeal following the chorus’ final delivery.
On “When You Close Your Eyes,” Morrissey decided that some kind of fusion of techno and trap, in the form of 2nd and 4th beat snare and a syncopated kick drumroll, would befit the beginning of Carly Simon’s song. If it weren’t enough that the entire album lacks stylistic focus, “Close Your Eyes” manages to throw together just about every beaten-to-death element we’ve already heard in the album into two entirely disjointed phases. It’s a pile of delay, reverb, and slide, with Morrissey singing over about half, leaving us with some entirely unnecessary time to ourselves at the end of the track where we can ponder each of the clichés that has led us to this moment. Perhaps if we were to close our eyes during this song, we might fall asleep – before being interrupted by a random splash of drum kit.
Tim Harden’s “Lenny’s Tune” follows. The opening phrase – “I’ve lost a friend, and I don’t know why” – is a suitable whine from a Morrissey who has spent the last several years annoying nearly everyone, including his original fanbase, anyone who was intrigued by his controversial statements, and those with whom he had collaborated musically in the past. “Lenny’s Tune” is the only notable deviation from the album’s general mood, but it’s not one that offers anything new in and of itself. Over a somber piano, Morrissey gives us a breathy, entirely uninspired delivery that is depressing more by virtue of its mediocrity than the song itself. Covering it, in many ways, feels more like a statement of self-important tone-deafness – a portrait of Morrissey pretending that he’s done nothing wrong. Perhaps it’s better than an insincere apology.
The album’s closer is Melanie Safka’s “Some Say I Got Devil.” Morrissey’s interpretation begins with crunchy orchestral hits in a sparse arrangement, which is then quickly joined by the droning of guitar and bass in a final testament to his apparent hatred for empty musical space. The few quiet moments on this song are of a lone piano, with Morrissey’s voice conspicuously absent throughout most of it. Those gentler sections are only sung over when there are drums and textured guitar to accompany the Moz; it’s a strange choice for an album by a man whose only liner-note credit is “lead vocals.” Are we here to listen to Morrissey sing, or to listen to his personnel play backing tracks? The answer to that question really doesn’t matter, since there’s bound to be something off-putting about either.
The closing line – “I am not in danger” – is representative of the entire album’s ethos: A Morrissey who is happy to backpedal and play it safe, both in the teasings of his public persona and in his entirely unimaginative music.
In truth, it’s quite easy to say he’s going about things the wrong way.
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10 comments
Thanks for the review. FYI, noticed a few typos – I was not looking . . . Evers not Evars, who obviously was a man (“*her* assassin”) plus Spector nor Spektor.
For what it’s worth, I was a big Smith’s fan. I can still listen to them and enjoy most of the songs. I tried many times, but never really got into Morrissey’s solo work. His last album had a song called “Spent The Day In Bed,” that sounds like something a local bar band could create. Glad he is making some right wing noise but will have to pass on this album.
Thank you for showing the world what an angry and neurotic hack you actually are, being that it’s his best selling album EVER and millions of his fans would hardly agree with you. His concerts are still selling out fast too thanks to this great album which I absolutely LOVE!
I’m sorry too that you’re butt-hurt over his views and statements in the past, but all you do is demonstrate your own stupidity and biased ignorance that the mainstream news media shows everytime they have a bone to pick or some sort of vendetta against someone.
You’re not a real journalist either, I don’t care what your education is. When you let your emotions influence an honest evaluation like this then it only proves my point. It would be one thing if you had a mixed review because most reviews like from Rolling Stone Magazine, Variety, and AllMusic don’t even come close to your views. Your personal hate is apparent and simply based on the fact that you don’t like him. If that’s not unprofessional then I don’t know what is. You’re a talentless and neurotic hack and I think you know that deep down. You’re NOT a REAL writer and you’ll likely never be one.
Donald? is that you?
Definitely not his best selling album ever. Come on man get with it!!
Having said that, this review is pretty much garbage. Everyone wants Morrissey to remain as he was in The Smiths….. Impossible. Please let them die FFS. I do agree that all the keys, synth, grinding guitar is terrible. Let’s face it….. His band is pretty bad, aside from Boz. But there’s nothing wrong with wanting to put your own spin on songs you love.
Moz is rather very shite now, aye. And this review is right there w/ him.
I must protest this review in the STRONGEST of terms. You see, I know Scott, and once had the displeasure of sharing a jail cell with him in Mexico, where he was arrested for corrupting the morals of a donkey.
From his lair in New Mexico – or one of those square states near Texas, he is a coyote dealing in arms, prostitution and Chinese espionage. Go ahead – ask him a question in Chinese and hear the answer come clattering out in perfect Mandarin, like a drawer full of silverware hurled against the wall!
I realize this may come as a heavy demand, but a Morrissey reviewer must have the highest moral character. In the future, if possible, it should be a man who has never known the embrace of women. I hear this type abounds on the Internet, and that most of them don’t have jobs, whereas young Scott hardly ever STOPS working. He is a veritable Napoleon of crime.
This album is amazing. Haven’t stopped listening to it since I got it. It’s intelligent and challenging in a way that is largely lacking in modern pop. That’s because it’s also often fun and most of all emotionally direct. So many indie bands now bury their vocals in the mix. Even when they can write, one could often easily ignore what they say. About half the album is political and there’s no doubt Morrissey is on the side of the outsider, as he has always been. This album would make conservatives uncomfortable, but he never panders to the politically correct. Even the pop songs are filled with a subversive charm. This album sounds especially fantastic on vinyl. He has the best drummer of his career. The songs have hips. Morrissey’s vocals are incredibly powerful. You can tell these songs mean something to him. It’s hard to make a covers record that feels like an important addition to an artist’s catalog. Morrissey is using these songs to say something. It’s there if you pay attention. Don’t listen to the reviewer. They missed the point.
I think if you just thought it was a shit album and your hatred of Morrissey was not so apparent, your review would have been shorter. Loads of reviewers do the same thing and it feels like envy more than anything.
We all would have liked the Billy Joe punk rock to come out. Moz always does what’s not expected of him. Point being; that’s the only good point made here. Obvious dislike of an artist by critic. If the hairs on the back of your neck don’t stand up on Lenny’s Tune, you sir are not human. For those of us who have lost fathers, mothers, brothers to this addiction, this song hits home. The rest of the album speaks for itself. I’m all for calling out Moz when justified, writer of this article; you are an idiot.
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