Morrissey - Ringleader Of The Tormentors
[Sanctuary]

Morrissey's marketing point has always been extremity. Over the years he has sold himself as a staunch vegetarian, a melancholy loner and an asexual celibate whilst keeping his tongue sharp enough to fend off attempts to get beneath his carefully constructed persona.

However, 'Ringleader Of The Tormentors' contradicts this stringent image and sees an albeit slight, but monumental move towards a more accessible sound and disposition. There is a distinctive romantic and sexual presence, which influences and informs the sentiment behind the lyrics. Singing “There are explosive kegs between my legs”, and “now I'm spreading your legs with mine in between” on 'Dear God, Please Help Me' Morrissey hints at a new burst of sexuality and fulfilment.

Love and emotional investment are also addressed with uncharacteristic sincerity “the heart feels free” is chanted against the backdrop of a gentle xylophone echo. This outlook continues as “To me you are a work of art, and I will give you my heart” is crooned alongside violins, a serene tempo and swaying bass line.

However, Morrissey has not completely bought into emotional release, and retains his preoccupation with death. Opening track 'I Will See You In Far Off Places' launches into a strong, guitar-dominated riff and displays an Eastern, even Buddhist sentiment with the declaration “but there is no end” and “nobody knows what human life is”. This is current runs throughout the album with penultimate track “I Just Want To See The Boy Happy” featuring some characteristic Morrissey resignation with the thought “lets face it, soon I will be dead”.

'On The Streets I Ran 'and 'Life Is A Pigsty' with their auras of juxtaposition and dissatisfaction serve to satisfy his more hardcore following. Morrissey's roots are reverted to here with the mention of turning “sickness into popular song”, alongside black streets and staring at his own “working-class face”.

The political currents flowing through this album are rendered unconvincing by their unoriginality, e.g., “and if the USA doesn't bomb you” and “I see the world, it makes me puke”. Most of all it is doubtful how effective these apparently convicted criticisms of Western politics can be when uttered by a long-standing resident of LA.

Morrissey, a figure who revels in being impenetrable, has delivered an album which remains true to this sentiment while giving way just enough for the sake of accessibility. In terms of sound, the tracks are more distinguishable, varied in their use of instruments and therefore likely to be more enduring and commercially successful than material from previous albums.