Since Morrissey's official comeback in 2004 from self-imposed exile, he's released one great album (You Are the Quarry) and a mediocre album (Ringleader of the Tormentors). Thankfully you can chalk up his new album Years of Refusal under the former category.

Produced by the late Jerry Finn (who also produced Quarry and just recently tragically died from a sudden brain aneurism) Years of Refusal finds Morrissey at one of the spryest moments of his solo career. Maybe it's because his last album was just so damn drab, but Refusal is chalk full of rocking moments that bring to mind and remind me of his 1992 album Your Arsenal. Tracks such as "Black Cloud" and "All You Need Is Me" are so charged and rockin' that they could even go as far as to convert listeners over to the Mozzer's side that have long considered him to be far too fey. Long time fans though will undoubtedly embrace reliable tracks like first single "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" which is steeped in usual Morrissey standby emotions such as melancholy and melodrama. Even though Years of Refusal doesn't live up to anything by his 80's band The Smiths or even solo classics such as Viva Hate or Vauxhall and I, it does stand near the upper echelon of his solo albums which is pretty impressive this late in the singer's long tenured career.