I Am Not a Dog on a Chain is one of the better latter-day Morrissey records: the sense of musical daring reveals how placid and complacent he's been for the better part of a decade.
Perhaps that’s why this album offers up some of his best performances, wryest lyrics, and most experimental arrangements in years. Moz has finally grown into the old man he always threatened to become.
I Am Not A Dog On A Chain features some of Morrissey’s best songs in years, and a couple of his worst.
Mildly captivating, occasionally repetitive, and frequently ridiculous, the 13th studio album from the fabulous sulk turned red-pill pharmacist is Moz’s vision of radical truth-telling.
It's impossible in 2020 to separate a Morrissey album from its creator's problematic proclamations. Which is a shame, because I Am Not A Dog... continues the late-career warm-is streak that started with Low In High School.