California Son

California Son, released in 2019, marks Morrissey's twelfth studio outing and his first full-length collection of covers. Produced by Joe Chiccarelli, the album serves as a sonic bridge between the singer's Manchester roots and his adopted Los Angeles home, featuring a diverse tracklist that spans 1960s pop, folk, and glam rock. The record is notable for its high-profile collaborations, including backing vocals from LP and Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong. Musically, it departs from the guitar-heavy indie rock of his early solo career in favor of a more 'sumptuous' and 'bombastic' production style, utilizing synthesizers and orchestral arrangements to modernize tracks by artists like Laura Nyro, Joni Mitchell, and Melanie. While critical reception was polarized due to the artist's contemporary political controversies, the vocal performances were widely cited as some of his strongest in decades, particularly on the Roy Orbison cover 'It's Over'. The album functions as a stylistic retrospective, revealing the specific songwriters who shaped Morrissey's melodic sensibilities.