Bw’s Blog

A few weeks ago, Morrissey released his ninth solo album, Years of Refusal.  For those who don’t know, he was previsouly the singer for The Smiths. It’s great to see that he’s continued to make music for all these years.

The album is the last album ever produced by Jerry Finn before his untimely death last August. It was tracked live at Conway Studios in Los Angeles starting as early as November of 2007.

The first song on the album, Something Is Squeezing My Skull, is a fast paced number with a strong hook. I like this song, and it starts off the album in a fun and refreshing way. I can already tell that the musicians are great; although this should be expected from a man with this much musical history.

The next song, Mama Lay Softly On The River Bed, is alright. The choruses feature Morrissey calling out to his Mama…which is a little weird. As I said the song is alright, but I couldn’t really get into it.

 When I Last Spoke To Carol, is worth a second listen. The acoustic guitar strumming carries the song well, and it’s augmented by horns and percussion. It seems to be somewhat influenced by Spanish music, and it reminds me of Western movies for some reason.

I would also recommend I’m Throwing My Arms Around You, and You Were Good In Your Time. Although I’m not familiar with the other 8 Morrissey albums, I did like Years Of Refusal. It’s a good testament to the talent of both Morrissey and Jerry Finn.

Sincerely,

BW.