{"id":318,"date":"2013-09-09T23:12:21","date_gmt":"2013-09-09T23:12:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/batterymedia.com\/blog\/?p=318"},"modified":"2016-02-23T22:26:31","modified_gmt":"2016-02-23T22:26:31","slug":"rs-album-473-the-smiths-the-smiths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/batterymedia.com\/blog\/?p=318","title":{"rendered":"RS #473: The Smiths -The Smiths"},"content":{"rendered":"
#473<\/div>\n

The Smiths, The Smiths<\/em><\/h3>\n
Release Date:<\/strong>\u00a01984<\/div>\n
Previously Owned:<\/strong>\u00a0Yes<\/div>\n
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Even the model in the album cover is super depressed.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Impressions: <\/strong>Let’s get this out of the way immediately:\u00a0<\/strong>Morrissey isn’t everyone’s taste. I’m not even sure he’s my taste, but I do love The Smiths. There’s something about the sweet-and-sour balance\u00a0of Johnny Marr’s casual guitar brillance and Morrissey’s literate moaning that works for me. Their consistent catalog and somehow side stepping of the dreaded ’80s sound (probably by avoiding keyboards and dated references) further seals the deal. Their songs come out as timeless, moody, emotional; different than just about anything else. Let’s dig into their debut… Even from the first song “Reel Around The Fountain,” these guys were\u00a0pretty well fully-formed\u00a0when the came out the gate: chiming guitars, simple driving post-punk music with dry, unfussy production. Not to mention a frontman who turned over most people’s ideas of what a lead singer of a rock band should be. He’s not a technically-perfect singer, but his bent crooning about murder, being gay, and child abuse and other non-rockstar subjects is compelling and unique to be sure. I enjoy how much he annoys people. Also, Johnny Marr is a goddamn guitar painter (“Hand In Glove”,) he balances out Morrissey so well. \u00a0Listen to the energetic, almost Motown-like bounce of “This Charming Man,”<\/a> no wonder it’s has been mashed<\/a> up<\/a> so<\/a> many<\/a>\u00a0times<\/a>.\u00a0Only the occasional Morrissey yodel (“Miserable Lie”)\u00a0keeps this from being absolutely pristine perfect album but I guess that kinda thing comes with the package. It’s still a startling, subversive\u00a0masterpiece though and it’s aged very well.<\/p>\n

Starred Songs:<\/strong>\u00a0“This Charming Man,” “Reel Around the Fountain,” “Pretty Girls Make Graves,” “Hand In Glove”<\/div>\n
Sneaky Track:<\/strong>\u00a0“I Don’t Owe You Anything”<\/div>\n
Should this album be on the\u00a0list?<\/strong> Yes. It’s also\u00a0probably in the right place.
\nWill you listen to this again?<\/strong> Yes<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Verdict:<\/strong>\u00a0 Bouncy, timeless guitar pop undercut with Morrisseys strange, one-of-a-kind morbidly depressing, yet bracing vocals.<\/div>\n
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Rating:<\/strong>\u00a0\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n<\/div>\n