AllMusic called Southpaw Grammar art rock, a subgenre of rock music that aspires to elevate rock into an artistic statement.
Southpaw Grammar is the fifth studio album by English alternative rock singer Morrissey, released on 28 August 1995 by record labels RCA in the UK and Reprise in the US. AllMusic described it as Morrissey's "art rock album, complete with strings, drum solos and two ten-minute songs." Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an artistic statement, opting for a more experimental and conceptual outlook on music. Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. 
