Morrissey has been described by music magazine NME as "one of the most influential artists ever." Similarly, the critic Steven Wells called Morrissey "the man who more or less invented indie" and an artist "who more than anybody else personifies" indie culture. Swords is a fantastic collection of B-sides, all hand-picked by Morrissey, available together on one album for the first time. It draws B-sides from many of the singles taken from You are the Quarry, Ringleader of the Tormentors, Greatest Hits and Years of Refusal. Although these tracks were originally released as B-sides, heard together and alongside each other on this album they sound superb as a collection in their own right. Opening with "The Never Played Symphonies," the B-side to the top three hit "Irish Blood, English Heart," the album is a wonderful journey through some of Morrissey's lesser-heard tracks recorded over the last five years.