Morrissey : "Make Up is a Lie"

 

There is a reason Morrissey has a fanatical cult following outside of the Smiths. He is one of my favorite singers, even as his croon has aged. It's been six years since "I am Not a Dog on a Chain." Even then, I will split the difference and not use the Smiths as the bar I judge him against in 2026 and use  2017's"Low In High School" as the bar. Granted, now 9 years later, Moz is almost 67 rather than the 58 years he was when he recorded that album. He keeps things at more of a reserved croon, which is pushed up further in the mix than the 2017 album, which sounded that more like he does live. 

When it comes to the percussion, there are more electronic elements in play, though the opener "You're Right It's Time" feels pretty organic with its casual, lounged-out croon. By the time we get to the lead single, Alain Whyte's guitar tone reminds me of the tones Stevie Ray Vaughn used on Bowie's "Let's Dance" album. He covers Roxy Music's 1973 penned"Amazona."  It was a quirky song for the band back then. Moz's version finds the guitar sounding brighter, and rather than go into the falsetto of Bryan Ferry, he shifts the dynamics of his voice to a softer tone to get the point across, showing he still possesses a fluid control of his voice. They even nail Phil Manzanera's solo. 

The tempo shifts for " Headache" that finds him writing with his former touring multi-instrumentalist Gustavo Manzur, which is odd considering Morrissey is supposed to be such a racist that half of his band is Hispanic. Manzur collapsed at a Colorado show and was replaced by Camila Gray, who also aided in writing for this album. While it sounds great, the song , is a ballad that drags a bit and is the first moment that feels like filler to me. "Boulevard" is also a ballad, but his voice does most of the heavy lifting as the accompaniment is sparse and takes time to come to a boil. Lyrically, it's more interesting than the previous song. 

Thi highlights that, lyrically, he is one of the heaviest writers in the game; he goes harder than most metal bands when it comes to the venom he infuses his sardonic poetry with. He also proves he can still belt it out to keep up with the dynamics. "Zoom Zoom the Little Boy" has a very 60s feel, which takes us back to the "California Son" album. Lyrically, he is back to saving animals. It almost sounds like he wrote it for "Yo, Gabba Gabba". Things get pretty fucking funky for " the Night Pop Dropped". 

"Kerching Kerching" finds Moz getting lyrically punchy even when casually crooning. It's a pretty intersting song with fun lyrics. "Lester Bangs" finds his pipes supple and a more lingering rock tone to the introspective nature of the song. His musing about a rock critic he grew up reading is endearing. "Many Icebergs" casts a darker reflection with its haunting folk feel. The kind of languid Brit pop Moz is known for closes things well with "the Monsters of Pig Alley." Overall, this album holds up his legacy in the manner expected. I will give it a 10. 

pst90