Gene: Drawn To The Deep End

Gene frontman Martin Rossiter is often compared to Morrissey, and there are certainly similarities: They share many of the same uptight, British-accented vocal mannerisms, and neither writes simple pop songs, instead piling on drama and fussing with pianos and ornate interludes. But the comparison should really end there. For one thing, Gene is a rock band, and a diverse one at that: Morrissey never rocks like Gene does on "Fighting Fit" or "Voice Of The Father," and he almost never yields as much attention to a full band as Rossiter does on the stately ballad "Why I Was Born." Drawn To The Deep End continues impressively in the tradition of Gene's acclaimed Olympian, mixing stirring British pop-rock rave-ups into a plethora of elegantly mopey ballads. It's hard to imagine Morrissey's forthcoming new album living up to Deep End's diversity and texture.