Mike Bones

On his second album, Mike Bones seems on a mission to out mope the Moz himself. Song titles like "Today the World is Worthy of my Loathing," "I'm a Decent Man, I Kept Repeating" and "Everybody's Always Coming Down on Me" suggest a degree of self-loathing not seen since the grunge also-rans ruled the mid-'90s modern rock charts. But the New York-based rocker's lyrics lack the wit and degree of introspection that rally the disaffected to Morrissey's records. Bones leans on throwaway lines like, "I've been the other man with your wife/shown many men the business end of a knife," crafting songs that on the surface appear to be plaintive confessionals. But the characters in these nine tracks, whether they are in fact Bones or simply his creations, are stilted. Even Matt Sweeney's (Chavez) guitar and bass contributions can't save A Fool For Everyone from the deadweight of Bones' words.