Formerly famous for proclaiming his own celibacy while writing richly frustrated songs of unrequited longing, Morrissey announces on his eighth solo studio album a long-overdue sexual awakening. ""There are explosive kegs between my legs,"" the former Smiths singer declares on the monstrously beautiful and shamelessly lurid ""Dear God, Please Help Me,"" orchestrated by legendary movie maestro Ennio Morricone. Ringleader of the Tormentors concludes with the similarly symphonic ""At Last I Am Born,"" where dear Moz confesses, ""I once was a mess of guilt because of the flesh/It's remarkable what you can learn."" To suit this miraculous transformation, veteran glam-rock producer Tony Visconti helps Morrissey achieve the delicious sensuality of early T. Rex and David Bowie, even paraphrasing the strummed guitar intro from David Bowie's ""Space Oddity"" midway through the epic ""Life Is a Pigsty."" You Are the Quarry, from 2004, was Morrissey's strongest album in years, but Ringleader reframes it as mere foreplay.

“Time to Pretend”

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”