Artist: Suede
Title: Autofiction
Genre: Indie Rock
Release Date: 16th September 2022
Label: BMG
Album Review
It’s something of a remarkable story how SUEDE have - to quote Alan Partridge - bounced back. From the sumptuous sleaze and urban romance of the early albums, where it was all passionate fumbles, beautiful decay, and gasoline rainbows, to the wet fart and muddy puddle demise of ‘A New Morning’, it all went sadly wrong. And then, after ten years, came ‘Bloodsports’ and a revitalised career, once again focussed, and full of sex and swagger and struggle and sympathies for the minutiae of daily life. Two further albums, proving this was no mere fluke, and here we are now, with ‘Autofiction’ providing an even more intriguing addition to the narrative.
SUEDE have now surpassed even their best work, by releasing an album that’s as near to perfect as it’s possible to get. There’s no weak track, no filler, nothing to suggest a dip in concentration or vision, no scooping up of leftover material or rehashing of previous glories. The band have already released fine albums, with outstanding moments, but never an outstanding album, until now. It’s like all the best bits of the last 30 years hand plucked and presented with the kind of dignified self-deprecation you expect in middle age.
Tackling the past from such a calm and pensive place has led to no compromising on results - this is as fiery, punky and snotty as SUEDE have ever been, moments of sheer joy and aching melancholy kicked violently around with a sense of anger, betrayal and regret. Tackling the raw pain still felt over the death of his beloved mother, has there been a more heart-breaking and brutally honest outpouring of emotion than ‘She Still Leads Me On’? Truly astonishing. ‘15 Again’ and ‘That Boy On The Stage’ both stomp defiantly through nostalgia, rendering any sugar-coated reimagining obsolete, classic SUEDE and yet refreshingly current in execution. ‘Black Ice’ has a similar swagger, with swooping, busy guitars and a chest-beating chorus. And on closing song ‘Turn Off Your Brain And Yell’ there’s no sign of the energy abating - it’s a call to arms, and utterly fabulous.
It's often easy to write off bands as they enter third and fourth decades of existence, as a lazy complacency or simply a lack of new ideas and dwindling of hunger sets in. But here, there’s such an overwhelming rush of creative song-writing, innovative ideas, passionate lyrics, and moments of massive flounce, that SUEDE have succeeded in finally focussing all that they are into a point of light so bitter and wonderful, so sharp and yet beautiful, they’ve captured perfectly all the confusion and emotion of youth, and flung it around with the weary optimism and reluctant wisdom that comes with age and experience. It’s also just a damn fine set of songs.
Tracklist
01. She Still Leads Me On
02. Personality Disorder
03. 15 Again
04. The Only Way I Can Love You
05. That Boy On The Stage
06. Drive Myself Home
07. Black Ice
08. Shadow Self
09. It’s Always The Quiet Ones
10. What Am I Without You?
11. Turn Off Your Brain And Yell
Line-up
Brett Anderson – Vocals
Mat Osman – Bass
Simon Gilbert – Drums
Richard Oakes – Guitar / Backing Vocals
Neil Codling – Keyboards / Piano / Guitar / Backing vocals
Website
https://www.suede.co.uk / https://www.facebook.com/suedeofficial
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 9
Sound: 9
Total: 9 / 10
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