Low In High School: What do you think of it?

Through one listen, I really enjoy it. There's only one clunker (In Your Lap), and some delightful surprises along the way. I expected the album to be much heavier, with big guitars, distortions, etc. but the amount of keys and strings made the slow pace bearable. Admittedly, I think the album could've used a pick-me-up in the middle, a la Bullfighter, but I'm quite satisfied with the way this turned out.

The final minute or so of Home is something else. I'd been listening to the live BBC version on repeat since it came out. That song is absolutely beautiful. Clearly the standout from the record. I would actually rate When You Open Your Legs as the second best song. Upbeat intro, love the instrumentation, great chorus. That song has grown on me quite a bit since I first heard it. My Love, Spent the Day in Bed, and Girl from Tel-Aviv round out my top 5.

I Bury the Living is something...I was left totally befuddled by it. There are moments I love, moments I loathe, and moments I'm left completely confused about. I was expecting Police to sound much darker. I think it's actually quite jangly considering the subject matter. Vocals on Israel sound great. I was expecting a heavier outro for it, but what can you do? Great track regardless.

In Your Lap about put me to sleep. Really hope that doesn't find its way into the live rotation. That's the only song leaving a negative taste in my system.

Overall, probably an 8/10. It will finish on the second half of my Top 10 records this year.
 
just finished my first listen,like nearly everybody else I enjoyed it,LAP and THE GIRL will take a good few listens but I'm not giving up on them yet,i never gave up on all the lazy dykes and it paid off.voice is fantastic,that soaring note at the end of home was unexpected but thrilling at the same time.everybody has their own taste so lets just enjoy what parts we like and skip the odd one here and there,and I'm hearing it through my laptop which is decent but I prefer my music through my ps4, picks up all the little bits in the background that you can sometimes miss.
 
I was really surprised to hear Morrissey try rapping and beat boxing on so many tracks. Hip hop is not his forte. And what's with the yodeling? And finally a banjo has no place on a Moz song.

spoiler alert !

hey, don't ruin it for me ! I haven't listened yet ! ;)
 
man, i was gonna wait and pick it up tomorrow and listen to it over the weekend, but reading some of your posts here, makes me wanna just download and listen to it now !

I must.... restrain ! :)
 
man, i was gonna wait and pick it up tomorrow and listen to it over the weekend, but reading some of your posts here, makes me wanna just download and listen to it now !

I must.... restrain ! :)
hold your nerve ketamine,dont give in.
 
My Love- 8.5/10
I Wish You Lonely- 9/10
Jacky- 8.5/10
Home- 10/10
STDIB- 9/10
I Bury The Living- 9/10
In Your Lap- 9.5/10
Girl from Tel-Aviv- 9/10
All The Young People- 8/10
When You Open- 9/10
Who Will Protect Us- 7.5/10
Israel- 10/10

I really liked this album! In my opinion, there's not a dull track at all. I especially can't comprehend the disdain for "I Bury The Living" and "In Your Lap". It bewilders me. I think they're absolutely splendid!
 
Everyone here hating on ' Who will protect us from the police?' but I LOVE IT. lol
 
"In Your Lap" pretty much has the piano piece that Gustavo has been playing as an interlude live for a few years.
 
I don't know how on earth people are rating these songs 7, 8, 9, out of 10.
 
Why is it called Low in High School?
 
has anyone noticed how some lines sound like they are from a musical, as in the west end,maybe its just the way he sings it,not that its a bad thing.
 
Well my cd came today. Pleasant surprise! I listened to it twice back to back...and I'm not sure what to think. Some words that come to mind are "adventurous productionwise", "sprawling", "moody", "melodically subtle". It's not the Moz album I was expecting or wanted...or so I thought. I think it might be something greater! Need to give it another half dozen listens to form an opinion.
 
Really enjpyed 1st listen.

'Israel' the standout track so far. Love 'Home..' as well.

F*ck knows where the hate for WWPUFTP came from - its great!

TGFTWWK is also growing on me as well.
 
Some interesting insights so far. I won't go too much into the already released tracks as I love them all but I will say I was disappointed with All The Young People. So great live, probably my 2nd favourite behind My Love of the tracks released so far, but the album version seems to be lacking energy.

Bury The Living. This could just have easily been called 'I'm Not A Man Part Two.' I feel a little conflicted about this. When I look at WW2 veterans you'll never convince me that all wars are pointless or soldiers join up merely to kill or because they are social misfits. Having said that there are certainly a lot of pointless wars fought over power and money, Iraq being case in point and I suggest that is what Moz is alluding to. I like that he jumps over to the parents perspective and their sense of hopelessness and for me that was the best part of the track. I reckon with about 10 minutes I could tweak the lyrics enough to make this a track about a kid running away to join ISIS (which I'm sure would have been greeted with cries of islamophobia!! had Moz done that) or possibly had he written it from the perspective of a soldier joining up only to realise the futility of what they have signed on for, that possibly would have made a more substantive lyric.

I like it but I'm not in love with it.

In Your Lap. I'm surprised more people don't like this. I think it's a beautiful piano ballad, at times it feels like the start of the type of ballad you hear at the start of a James Bond film.

The Girl From Tel Aviv. Really light and airy and alongside of In Your Lap has the type of 1-2 punch of Used To be A Sweet Boy and Lazy Sunbathers on 'Vauxhall.' Musically although Spanish in influence you can feel the arid heat of the Middle East when you listen to both these tracks.

Police. Another track for me that is solid rather than inspiring. The music feels a little clunky as do the lyrics, Ganglord is a much superior anti-police piece. Maybe over time this will grow on me.

Israel. Disclaimer, I believe in the right of Israel to exist, especially as it is the only democratic country in the Middle East (at least that I can think off of the top of my head.) So often in the progressive liberal media israel cops a bashing without any balance as to the actions of the PLO or Hezbollah so it's probably long overdue that someone stood up for the Israeli POV. I'd also say after listening to the lyrics this is more about saying don't confuse the people of israel with the actions of its government. There are plenty of Israelites that have protested the more extreme actions of it's governments. Morrissey explicitly states so much in the lyrics which goes to show those who are critical of the subject matter actually haven't listened to the lyrics or are just being willingingly obtuse to ignore them.

Musically it's really beautiful (who wrote it?) and melodically so as well. A stunning closer.

All-in-all those who loved/liked World Peace will enjoy this and those who didn't will continue to proclaim Morrissey has lost the plot completely. Viva Hate was right I think, 4 songs discussing gher Middle East was probably overkill but I'm enjoying the different musical direction the band is taking, the crooning voice has never sounded better and I'm enjoying this current era of Morrissey immensely.
 
Still on my first listen.
Had goosebumps when Home is a Question Mark started.
The sound on this album is exceptional. Morrissey sounds better than ever.
f***! "Honour-mad cannon fodder" chant is powerful! I Bury the Living is brilliant. Some critics just didn't get it!

Yes. I agree.

Hazard
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