The seeds of Morrissey's sixth solo album, , were sown in 1997, during a particularly tumultuous time in his life. Recorded in just a few weeks, the album marked a return to the jangly pop sound of his early work, with highlights like "Albuquerque" and "The Garbage Boy". Although it received mixed reviews at the time, Maladjusted has since been reevaluated as a underrated gem in Morrissey's discography.