For old Smiths fan like us, anything new from one Stephen Patrick Morrissey is always cause for interest, if not necessarily celebration – we’re resigned to the fact that nothing he makes now is going to rival the glory days of The Smiths, but nevertheless, his solo material is still worth hearing. As such, we were excited to hear that he performed three new songs on BBC Radio 2 today, and that these songs are now available online to stream for your listening pleasure. See what we made of them after the jump. (And also click through for new stuff from Brian Eno and Flying Lotus.)
“Action Is My Middle Name”
In which Morrissey confronts advancing age and impending mortality by, um, getting jiggy with it. It’s disconcertingly randy – he starts by talking about “biting my initials into your neck,” and later asks “Can I interest you in hours of fun?” before wondering, “Am I moving too fast for you?” No, we’re just, um, going out for a breath of fresh air.
“The Kid’s a Looker”
A sardonic take-down of a talentless pop star: “He can’t dance or sing/ He can’t do anything/ But what the hell/ The kid’s a looker.” Lots of “la la las.” Surprisingly heavy and bombastic. Comes across as just a wee bit mean-spirited and bitter, perhaps.
“People Are the Same Everywhere”
An intro that’s a tiny bit reminiscent of The Smiths’ “Panic,” and more big guitars. As with “Action is My Middle Name,” there’s lots of existential discontent – “Our creator had to make the biggest mistake of all” – although less leg-humping this time. Thankfully.
Bonus links: There’s also new material from Flavorpill favorites Flying Lotus and Brian Eno streaming at the moment via their respective Soundcloud pages. For two new Eno songs, click here, and for the FlyLo action – a couple of previously unreleased remixes, along with a load of other stuff – click here.