You are the Quarry (Jewel Case)

Description

Morrissey's first new album since the nineties is a triumph. Powered by a formidable quartet, the twin guitars spit fire that matches every wounded issue Morrissey tears into. Never one to mince words, he comes out swinging, taking America to task and then turning his attention on his homeland with the blistering "Irish Blood, English Heart." You Are the Quarry is so effective because it's less an overt rallying cry than a heartfelt plea for the world to make sense to him again. Elsewhere, relationships are given such a uniquely vibrant vantage point as to render any other angle blind. His wordplay mixes the coy invention of Cole Porter with a feisty contemporary showman's sense of stagecraft, wit, and drama. "Close your eyes, and think of someone you physically admire, and let me kiss you." It doesn't get much better to that. And wedded to charging hooks, these songs will move into your head and never leave. --David Greenberger