The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead (1986), 7/10

Obviously a legendary album for many reasons not excluding messaging and influence, but more than that it has remained an absolute pleasure to listen to for decades. Reasons to return to The Queen Is Dead are not limited to the individually strong songwriting, pacing, and the obviously great combination of Marr and Morrissey, here at their most delicate and graceful. There is not a weak song, though “Never Had No One Ever” and "Vicar in a Tutu" can become a bit exhausted after repeated listens. That fact along with the band’s newfound softness and mature, even mellowed sound can make one yearn for their earlier work. Hardly a harsh criticism, but this is why the record is not as flawless as it could be, and why it will never be the greatest Smiths album. On paper silly sounding songs like “Frankly, Mr. Shankly” or "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" should be frustrating rather than the reserved singles, but they are undeniably enjoyable and even lovable for their eccentricities and simply joyous tone. Morrissey’s abandoning of his ridiculous falsetto and the band’s tightening should be major strengths for such an album, and perhaps they are from a technical perspective, but they dissipate their vulnerability and charisma, two things that The Smiths relied on heavily for their effectiveness as a unit. If Morrissey’s mournful and longing lyrics are met with a compromising vocalist, how could this constitute an improvement? Not to mention, the band matches his energy well, but when that energy is ebbing too far into a droning hopelessness, the exercise becomes frustrating and truly depressing rather than charmingly so, as in their early singles. Still, “I Know It’s Over” and “Cemetery Gates” are masterfully written and performed, and even palpably moving. Not the greatest Smiths album for a few minor stylistic and thematic reasons, but it is easily understood as a fan favorite for its strengths in composition and emotional breadth.