Maladjusted (Bonus Track Version)

While the end of the Smiths meant the end of the songwriting partnership with Morrissey’s most reliable musical foil, guitarist Johnny Marr, it has since guaranteed that Morrissey forever chases a new musical approach that can bring his witty and crafty paeans of self-pity to reverberating life. His shifts in sonic style have led him to adventurous and unpredictable new territories often at odds with the sweet, gentle guitar-led pop of his early years, while fans and critics have made some serious mischaracterizations of his sound. A string section here, a drum solo there don’t exactly add up to “prog rock.” Granted, his sound has expanded into lush terrain: Maladjusted’s main single, “Alma Matters,” is a sweet, smooth, seamless web of guitars and keyboards, a powerful force deliberately lacking in distinct features. “He Cried” continues Morrissey’s interest in the crustier edges of his sound with plenty of crooked guitar. “Ambitious Outsiders” uses strings. “Trouble Loves Me” sits down at the piano for a melodramatic flourish. “Satan Rejected My Soul” adds Morrissey’s self-parodic bite to another tale of pure misfit reality. Even Satan doesn’t sink low enough to accept this soul.