[left]In the early ‘naughties’ it seemed that Morrissey’s vintage career was on the back-foot, reeling from the lethargy of ‘Ringleader of the Tormentors’ on which he sounded pickled and fermented. On ‘Years of Refusal’ Morrissey proves that he remains a great songwriter and performer with inspired tracks that pulsate with energy and angry confidence. The album’s starting pistol is the raucous ‘Something is Squeezing My Skull’ which immediately silences the Morrissey doubters, followed by a medley of scintillating tunes, peaking with ‘It’s Not Your Birthday Anymore’, a lyrically inspired cataclysm which reminds us why Morrissey is one of the greats. [/left]
[left]This is a lively, youthful album that reminds me of my halcyon days, rioting through the streets throwing bin-bags, kissing girls at parties and ingesting small pieces of paper soaked in chemicals with like-minded herberts. All that’s gone now, but an album like this really rejuvenates my tired and empty shell and makes me thirsty for cheap cider and recklessness. PBPH is no ode to a miss-spent youth however, but a solid, quirky pop-indie album with a barrage of fine tunes that sound cool and sophisticated; PBPH’s own halcyon days in action. [/left]
[left]The Prodigy’s latest endeavour comes after the miserable ‘Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned’ and harks back to Liam Howlett’s rave roots with some fierce synths, pounding beats and hardcore harmonies. The title track and the first single, ‘Omen’ are riotous affairs, aimed straight at the dance-floor, but are overly simplistic and the beats lack originality and sophistication. Front-man Keith adds his usual incendiary one-line lyrics, but there’s no ‘Firestarters’ on here. The Prodigy are however still one the most exciting live acts and tracks such as ‘Warning’, with its aggressive bass-line drops and fierce drums, will certainly piss off your neighbours. [/left]