"Mope rock" is one of those annoying terms rock critics toss into reviews and The Smiths are usually blamed as the alleged genre's progenitor. If the accusation is true, it must be added that The Smiths had a much wider scope than the depression of emotional letdown-even if they explored that field as well as anyone in rock.
The new double-disc career overview is excellent listening, even without the singles and rarities. Singer-writer Morrissey's acutely exquisite sensibility suggests Oscar Wilde more than any role model of the rock era. His empathetic, accusatory and expressive voice, accompanied by the glum folk-rock strum of guitarist Johnny Marr, framed his mostly downbeat but often waggish songs about, well, emotional letdown, but also oblique social commentary and not so oblique scolds ("Meat is Murder" more than suggests Morrissey's dietary regimen).
After The Smiths disbanded in 1987, Morrissey carried on with albums virtually indistinguishable from his recordings with the group. Listening to The Sound of The Smiths comes the realization that unlike so many other trendy British acts of the era, Morrissey's music hasn't dated along with yesterday's hairstyles.
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