Morrissey Shows His Teeth on "World Peace"

Controversial frontman of The Smiths and innovator of indie music, Morrissey is something of a spectacle and an enigma. But those hoping to understand more about Morrissey from his latest album, “World Peace is None of Your Business,” will face disappointment. If his previous release, 2009’s rocking and fiery “Years of Refusal,” was explosive, “World Peace” is almost one-dimensional in its charged character. The result is an unrelenting odyssey into the self-assertive character that is Morrissey—a world that while initially fascinating becomes exhausting.

Musically, the album delivers. Creative orchestration provides the tracks with harmonious beats and occasionally head-banging character. The instruments nimbly switch from classic rock to acoustic with a twinge of country in songs like “Neal Cassady Drops Dead” and “Istanbul.” Operatic singing fills the parts of “Earth is the Loneliest Planet.” Cymbals, electronic squeaks and rumbles, the beat of marchers, string twinges, synthetic scratches—a wide range of sounds make cameos, collectively complimenting Morrissey’s saccharine voice. “Kick the Bride Down the Aisle” epitomizes this melodic success. From the pervasive organ to the brief chiming of wedding bells, the sounds in the song pay homage to the theme of marriage. And as Morrissey sings the chorus about the bride’s desires, a falsetto voice accompanies him as if the bride herself agrees with his cynical sentiments. The addition of Spanish and Western flair, courtesy of the guitar, gives the song a triumphant flourish.

Robust and upbeat accompanying music enjoys prevalence in most of Morrissey’s album. This light character, however, offers a startling and ironic contrast to the less-than-chipper lyrics that Morrissey espouses. If any evidence of the musician’s notorious cynicism is needed, look no further than the titular track. Within the first few minutes of the album, Morrissey states, “World peace is none of your business / Police will you stun with their stun guns / Or they’ll disable you with tasers / That’s what government’s for.” From the album’s beginning, Morrissey seeks to express his deepest beliefs, and he carries through on this promise with a caustic gusto. “The Bullfighter Dies” channels Morrissey’s passion for animal activism as he celebrates a bullfighter’s death while “Nobody cries / Because we all want the bull to survive.” Meanwhile, his distrust towards matrimony surfaces in “Kick the Bride Down the Aisle,” another track that showcases Morrissey’s beliefs.

This biting sentiment defines “World Peace.” Most notable in its lack of warmth is “Neal Cassady Drops Dead.” While the track begins in typical Morrissey fashion with a nostalgic reminder of the British singer’s love of including literary and cultural references in his songs, it soon turns into a shocking diatribe about diseased children. “Everyone has babies / Babies full of rabies / Rabies full of scabies / Scarlet has a fever,” Morrissey proclaims with his famously imaginative wit. With such tracks, “World Peace” traverses into pessimistic, politically charged territory. And while social commentary gives albums depth, the problem is that Morrissey is too blatant. He presents his opinions with little subtlety, so that the album becomes a relentless barrage of bias that strips the listener of room to think or even contemplate the complex issues Morrissey discusses.

To read “World Peace” as one man’s attempt to make his zealous philosophies heard, however, is erroneous. The album contains splotches of profound thought and introspection, rare gems in an otherwise one-sided production. The album’s final track, “Oboe Concerto,” replaces Morrissey’s previously dominant buoyancy for a surprising sensitivity and candor as he sings “Oboe concerto / All I do is drink to absent friends” and “The older generation have tried, sighed, and died / Which pushes me to their place in the queue.” An accompanying saxophone cements the song’s pop-ballad style and lends it a morose quality. He even sings in a softer and more melancholic manner, compared to his louder renditions in “Kick the Bride Down the Aisle” or “Neal Cassady Drops Dead,” drawing out the end of his phrases and pausing at moments. “Oboe Concerto” reflects a musician’s self-awareness about his duty as an aging artist trying to be successful in a different time. As he repeats “Round, round, rhythm of life goes round” to steady drum beats and synthetic noises, Morrissey creates a sense of finality. The song is a startling conclusion, not because of any upsetting messages but because of its reflective and genuine tone—one that is both provocative and thoughtful.

Morrissey succeeds in providing an image of himself as an artist in his latest album—but it is ultimately one that lacks complexity. In “World Peace,” Morrissey presents himself as a skeptic, a somewhat disparaging musician, and a staunch activist. And while that picture might be compelling at times, it ends up being too overblown for a completely enjoyable listening experience.

—Staff writer Ha D.H. Le can be reached at hadohuyle@college.harvard.edu.