You Are The Quarry (Gatefold w/ DVD)
For a while back there, it seemed like Morrissey had nothing left to say. Withthe Smithshe marvelously guided all the messed up youth of the world through the everyday savages of adolescence, seemingly turning out classics like "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side" and "How Soon Is Now?" between sips of tea. By the time the '90s arrived, Morrissey seemed stuck in an unbearably boring rockabilly rut, turning out records likeSouthpaw GrammarandMaladjusted. The light had gone out. Seven years in the making, however, his seventh solo album,You Are the Quarry, feels like a rush of blood to the head. It's not a full-blown return to form but it sure feels right. Fired up politically and socially, Morrissey is no longer taking on the problems in the bedroom but the world at large, lashing out gracefully with standout tracks like "Irish Blood, English Heart" and "America Is Not the World." The sound is big, brash, and faintly familiar. Most importantly, the charm is back, even when he sings something as ludicrous and stupid as "All the Lazy Dykes." At least we know his heart's still beating.--Aidin Vaziri