Arriving in an era dominated by
synth pop
and gloomy
post-punk
,
the Smiths
' eponymous debut was the bracing beginning of a new era. On the surface,
' sound wasn't radically different from traditional British
guitar pop
--
Johnny Marr
's ringing, layered guitars were catchy and melodic -- but it was actually an astonishing subversion of the form, turning the structure inside out. Very few of the songs followed conventional verse-chorus structure, yet they were quite melodic within their own right.
Marr
's inventive songwriting was made all the more original and innovative by
Morrissey
's crooning and lyrics. Writing about unconventional topics, from homosexuality (
"Hand in Glove"
) to child molestation and murder,
had a distinctively ironic, witty, and literate viewpoint whose strangeness was accentuated by his off-kilter voice, which would move from a croon to a yelp in a matter of seconds. While the production of
The Smiths
is a little pristine, the songs are vital and alive, developing a new, unique voice within
pop
music. Though
continued to improve over the course of their career, their debut remains startling and exciting. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine