Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

The Smiths breakup is something I still somewhat mourn to this day. One of my all-time favorite bands, it felt like a divorce because Marr’s ingenious guitar riffs were married to Morrissey’s morose, operatic vocals like partners that make up for each other’s weaknesses. “Suedehead” was the first solo single from Morrissey that gave us hope that he could still do brilliant things with music without Marr. He became more melodic. More universal. More insistently satiric. The opening tune-up guitar strum in “Suedehead” is like Morrissey’s mating call for his next music partner. Us.

“You had to sneak into my room just to read my diary.”