3.6 - Ah, Morrissey. Again with his brooding pompadour and melodramatic bleating. He mostly manages to stay out of his own way on this record, and we get a more-or-less tidy slice of pop with some chamber-y elements via string swells. I've always been intrigued by the mysterious "The More You Ignore Me..." that features the unforgettable line "I'll be in the bar with my head on the bar." Songs mostly theme around addressing bad press and betrayals from former friends. This is a deeply personal and middle-aged reckoning in face of the British tabloid, and for most of the details I give zero fucks. I also found the prominent movie dialogue samples on "Spring-Heeled Jim" quite distracting from an otherwise pretty ballad. Despite my gripes, this was a fine listen. And anytime I can get Morrissey without his politics, I consider it a win.