Something I Saw or Thought I Saw
New England's foremost narrative troubadour returns with his  first collection of new material in five years (in between he's  released a 1996 novel,Edson, and the 1999  tribute albumSongs of  Mississippi John Hurt). Much of this song cycle recalls Bob  Dylan'sBlood on the  Tracks, as Morrissey applies his craggy voice and economy of  detail to bittersweet themes of romantic dissolution. From the  album-opening "Twenty Third Street" through "Just Before We Lost the War" and  "Moving Day," he avoids regret and recrimination for a more resigned  mix of fatalism and wonder, while tracing the arc of love from its  aftermath. The chamber-like arrangements complement the understatement  of the writing, with Morrissey's guitar framed by piano, violin, and an  occasional solo horn. "Harry's Last Call" compresses a short story's  richness into four minutes of song, while "Will You Be My Rose?" ends  the album on a note of renewal.--Don McLeese