Morrissey — Years Of Refusal

Years Of Refusal

Universal

Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

02/20/2009 2:12pm

"I'm doing very well," Morrissey sings in the first line to "Something Is Squeezing My Skull," Years Of Refusal's opening track.

It's a telling line for the legendary mopester, especially if you thought Morrissey had fallen off over the last few years. The track is barely two minutes, and it's just one of 12 great songs on the most rocking album Morrissey's made since his Your Arsenal days. In fact, "You Were Good In Your Time" is practically this disc's only misstep.

Years Of Refusal is also a bit of a return to the days when Morrissey moped in the best fashion. When he sings "Only stone and steel accept my love" on first single "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris," it brings to mind Smiths songs like "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," which were truly, positively, godforsakenly miserable, but didn't sound it because they were so upbeat. But this track's a bit different because it seems to contain a wiser sense of being.

That's the case with most of these songs, and that feeling tempers the album's miserabillia. Further evidence can be found a few more tracks in when Moz sings "I was wasting my time trying to find in love" on "That's How People Grow Up," only to follow it with the words in the song's title. Sure, he's still mopey and vitriolic, but he's learned from his experiences.

Perhaps Years Of Refusal's cover art is telling in a way, since Morrissey (like the baby) has been scarred by his experiences, but has learned from them, moved on and become a slightly different (reborn?) and better person in the end. Years Of Refusal should silence anyone who thinks Moz is a shadow of his former self or that he's washed up in the slightest.

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