How does the former frontman of The Smiths follow-up a track so bad it made the Notre-Dame fire the second worst thing to happen to the cathedral? Amazona. Bear in mind, Morrissey said that, of the two albums he had recorded and had shelved by his former label, this is the stronger of the two offerings. We live in uncertain times, and Morrissey is actively contributing to this fear. His rollout of Make-Up is a Lie material has been volatile to say the least. The title track is fine enough, not at all convincing but it at least sets the scene for what this project may turn into. Notre-Dame is possibly the lowest Morrisey has ever gone – in the studio, that is. He looks to cover new, acoustic-led ground with Amazona, a third and (hopefully) final single ahead of Make-Up is a Lie’s release. His first album in six years sounds more like a collection of leftovers from the studio than a project which redefines Morrissey, or even reaffirms him, as a once prominent cultural figurehead.
Instead, we can hear what has become of the man behind Suedehead. Holding onto cultural relevancy with contemporary works is no small feat, and at least Morrissey has The Smiths’ discography and solid albums from his solo years to rely on when the likes of Amazona fall short. It’s the best of the three singles, though that’s like picking which bottle you’d like to be glassed with and picking the smallest one. The pain is all the same. What remains absolutely clear is the vocal quality Morrissey has. That’s not the problem for Make-Up is a Lie, the material just isn’t up to scratch and hasn’t been for some time. At least Amazona has an affectionate tone, a little dreamworld for Morrissey to wander around in, even if he relies on turns of phrase which would be overused by newcomers, let alone legends of the stage. Every cloud has a silver lining, yes indeed, though that much is stated time and again across a multitude of cultural offerings. Morrissey is hardly offering anything new or inverting the meaning of such a phrase.
What he does offer in place of meaning is an effective mood change. A guitar solo featured here breaks from the usual, wispy spirit Morrissey has provided so far on Make-Up is a Lie. It’s a refreshing moment which revives what little faith there may be in the project. Morrissey isn’t quite known for instrumental thrills, but Amazona makes it the best part of the track, a wailing and grinding change of pace. It gives the song some much-needed life and even when it slips back into the lighter touch necessary for Morrissey to continue singing, its impact is still felt. Amazona is the closest he’s gotten to writing a stadium-level hit in some time, and even then, it falls somewhat short of expectation. Part of the problem is in the acoustic guitar fixture at the start and end of the track. Trade that out for the ambitious, electrifying mid-section, and you’ve got a hit on your hands.
But there’s no escaping the fact Amazona is another Morrissey effort that falls short. Better than anything released from the album so far, but its instrumental spirit is not enough to overhaul the plainer lyrical choices. At least there’s a belief backing that wordplay, if you can call it that. Space-based castles and silver linings in cloudy skies, it all feels like the ex-Smiths frontman is reaching for contemplation in the skies, though he can’t soar as high as he wishes he could with such a message. An out-of-nowhere guitar solo is worth sticking around for, but it’s rather telling that Morrissey must use simple tricks such as that to maintain an interest in this work, some hold on to this new material. Much of it has fallen well short of expectation, and even the dedicated listener, those who have stuck with Morrissey as their cultural guru for years, will struggle to find much life in this material.
