morrissey

If there were a course for teaching aging rockers how to grow old with dignity, Morrissey would be required listening.

The former lead singer of legendary Brit-angst band the Smiths has carved out an impressive post-breakup career, and ninth solo album Years of Refusal is a stellar addition to his catalogue.

The title is supposedly derived from the time Morrissey has spent chaste, one of the many obsessed-over aspects of the eccentric superstar's persona. This seems appropriate, as the instrumentation throughout is bursting with what feels like sexual tension. The drums on most songs create a frenzied pulse, surprisingly evocative of hormones and frustration. The electric guitar squalls don't hurt either.

The compositions don't reinvent the pop song, but they deliver power and vigor typical of a man much younger than his 49 years. "It's Not Your Birthday Anymore" is what U2's next record should sound like, and there are few men, regardless of age, with the towering presence and pissed-off energy to write bass-fueled fuzz-rocker "All You Need is Me."

Refusal's 12 songs share Morrissey's trademark: honest and incisive lyrics delivered directly and repeated for emphasis. The track titles are usually comprised of a full lyric plucked from the song's chorus; stand-out "Something is Squeezing My Skull" is a prime example, with Morrissey crooning, "Something is squeezing my skull/Something I can barely describe/There is no love in modern life." The subject matter is usually limited to love, in all its forms, and the verses sport an efficient brevity that highlights the singer's spirited refrains.

While the Moz does sport a uniquely British ethos, Americans don't often get their pop stars with such gravity.

For some things, you just have to reach across the pond; rest assured that Morrissey will reach back.