Reviews
Morrissey
Ringleader of the Tormentors
by Oliver St John
This is Morrissey's eighth solo album, and in other circumstances might have garnered more critical acclaim than it has; coming of the back of 2004's You Are The Quarry, this latest effort had a lot to live up to.
Not that Ringleader of the Tormentors is by any means a bad album. It contains a number of tracks which you can't help but feel the pulse of, and of course Morrissey's unique vocal stylings.
The opening track, "I Will See You In Far Off Places" is an upbeat, very melodic tune, calling back to the good old days before Morrissey went solo. Other tracks, such as "You Have Killed Me", endeavor to keep the album in a similar vein, but as a whole the album fails to live up to quite that high a standard. On a repeat listen, I would probably skip a few tracks, ultimately listening to a shorter but more coherent collection, one which would highlight the best aspects of Morrissey's music.
Fans of "Moz" will not be disappointed by Ringleaders, though if you are only familiar with The Smiths rather than any solo efforts, you may find it lacking a little of the sonic "power" you're used to. The ringing, bombastic guitar sound of yesteryear is somewhat more tempered on this album, but the unmistakable presence that Morrissey brings to the proverbial table is as strong as ever.
Overall: 6.5 / 10