Morrissey – World Peace is None of Your Business
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Thirty years after The Smith’s self-titled debut, twenty years removed from Vauxhall and I and ten years after the resurrection of his career, Stephen Patrick Morrissey remains a polarizing anomaly. A part of me still sincerely loves his turn of phrase and the overall fashion of his work, but in recent years, the man himself and his unfiltered opinions have become increasingly difficult and unlikable. It’s been five years since Years of Refusal, his last full-length release, and in that time some things have changed while there are also some things that never will.
Lyrically, the album sees Morrissey divvying up the twelve featured tracks into familiar territories. On one hand, you have his infamously veiled and ambiguous passion pouring through on tracks such as “Istanbul” and “Kiss Me a Lot”. There are moments in which he’s once again airing grievances (mainly with the world at large), as the album’s title track and LP highlight, “I’m Not a Man”, shows all too clearly. It’s the return of his off-kilter, character-driven pieces, like “Kick the Bride Down the Aisle” and “Staircase at the University”, which stand out strongest on this tenth solo outing. Lyrically, thematically and from a personal perspective, World Peace is None of Your Business is very familiar from Morrissey, but in many aspects, it sees him return to a form after a misstep with his last record.
From a musical stand point, the album is pretty much set within the usual molds that many have become accustomed to, but throughout there are noticeable strokes of alteration, and dare I say, experimentation. His time in Europe has clearly left an imprint on his creative process, as scattered through the record you can hear Spanish guitars, French accordions — hell, there’s even a didgeridoo used in the opening segment of the record! Thrown into this more continental mix, you can also find small but interesting shards of industrial and minimal ambiance. Granted, all of these ideas serve only as snapshots or small flourishes embedded shallowly throughout, but there are some interesting seeds here.
This album isn’t up there with his finest work, but it’s a long way removed from his more forgettable efforts. Strong, consistent and highly enjoyable, it’s a good addition to his expanding discography as well as a statement of intent. Love him or hate him, he clearly has no plans to leave just yet — he’s finding his feet once again and that can only be a good thing, right?
