The Smiths were more expansive than their generic name gave away. Does it even need to be mentioned what a great duo Morrissey and Johnny Marr made? To this day, they still refuse to tarnish their legendary years in the '80s by reforming, as if anything could be done to ruin a band so flawless. With a cadence that dripped with sincerity and sex, Morrissey gave voice to a muted generation. There weren't a lot of songwriters with the huevos to speak up about such sexual and personal subject matter before him; songs from human nature to comatose girlfriends and the every day life in between.
Strangeways, Here We Come is short, barely brushing past the 36-minute mark, but you'd be a fool to underestimate how much is packed into a half-hour with The Smiths. There are jams, ballads and anti-ballads that paint a vivid picture of mundane-yet-provocative life, and as mentioned prior, they are wildly relatable with Morrissey's affection. Even from the song titles alone, there's a certain atmosphere that's dark and inviting for anyone yearning to dim the lights and take a closer look at themselves. Strangeways is introspective music at its finest.
It's about time I finally tried this band out. A friend of mine considers this their least album but what does he know?! (more than me in any case)
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