Following the breakup of
the Smiths
,
Morrissey
needed to prove that he was a viable artist without
Johnny Marr
, and
Viva Hate
fulfilled that goal with grace. Working with producer
Stephen Street
and guitarist
Vini Reilly
(of
the Durutti Column
),
doesn't drastically depart from the sound of
Strangeways, Here We Come
, offering a selection of 12 jangling
guitar pop
sounds. One major concession is the presence of synthesizers -- which is ironic, considering
' adamant opposition to keyboards -- but neither the sound, nor
's wit, is diluted. And while the music is occasionally pedestrian,
compensates with a superb batch of lyrics, ranging from his conventional despair (
"Little Man, What Now?,"
"I Don't Mind If You Forget Me"
) to the savage political tirade of
"Margaret on a Guillotine."
Nevertheless, the two masterstrokes on the album -- the gorgeous
"Everyday Is Like Sunday"
and the infectious
"Suedehead"
-- were previously singles, and both are on the compilation
Bona Drag
. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine