Morrissey: 'That's How People Grow Up'

We hate to be cynics, but doesn't the whole NME vs Morrissey battle just stink of publicity stunt? Not even Max Clifford could buy the sort of media coverage the Mancunian warbler earned after making some vaguely controversial comments about Britain not being as good as it used to be. The furore seems conveniently timed to act as a precursor for Moz's forthcoming Greatest Hits collection and its obligatory spin-off single, 'That's How People Grow Up'. Funny that.

As you'd expect from a track being tagged onto the coat-tails of a best of, this isn't A-grade Morrissey. That's not to say it's bad - average Mozza is a darn sight better than most things - but it never truly scales the lofty heights that he's so regularly graced in the past. Baz Boorer installs his usual crunching guitars and the former Smiths talisman dips into his box of miserable, downtrodden lyrics, telling us: "There are things worse in life than never being someone's sweetie." Learning that Morrissey is a cynic when it comes to love is hardly a revelation, but he manages to invest the track with enough winning sarcasm to keep us crossing our fingers for a new studio album later this year.