Suede

oh I find DMS had a good sound that goes well with the songs and spirit of the album. I only wish they had been easier on the treble !

Bloodsports is one of the worst-sounding pieces of vinyl I own, but this is right up there with it...

BUT just getting to the end of side 2 (of 4) and What I'm Trying to Tell You immediately sounds like the best Suede song I've heard in 20 years.

I just started the album and it's already hitting the spot. Admittedly dense with sonic information, that's for sure.

I've never heard Bloodsports but the way u guys describe the production, it must be similar to that of Coming Up?

It's just pretty compressed a la everything, which can make it a bit headache inducing. This one, doesn't sound that bad to me. Sonically, that is. The album, I think it's really strong. But not so in your face obviously so that it's immediately apparent. Sort of like DMS, you can tell there's something going on, but I can tell it may take me a bit to figure it all out and determine the degree of greatness.

With the terrible noise of it, I can't really judge this thing after one listen. It seems promising. Definitely some good songs there. Maybe I should've got the CD instead of the vinyl. Then instead of wondering if there was fluff on the needle I could've just relaxed knowing that was how it was supposed to sound.

I think I mentioned on the Bloodsports thread that Brett recycled the melody of his best solo song (Clowns) for that album's closer, Faultlines. Here he's blatantly reused his best The Tears melody (Apollo 13) for new song Tightrope AND adapted the best Bloodsports tune (What Are You Not Telling Me?) for I Can't Give Her What She Wants. A lot of the time it feels with this band that you're just hearing the same things arranged in a slightly different way.

However, it's impressive how Brett's clearly worked on the lyrics. He was an ambitious if often awkward writer in the very old days, and it was a shame how notoriously lazy he became afterwards. But there's good writing here.

The guitar is often brilliant within the pretty-rigid Suede template - i.e. non-stop fuzzy arpeggios with occasional moments of pseudo-spontaneity post-chorus - and there are even points where you get unexpected things, like the weirdly thrilling verses of What I'm Trying to Tell You.

I don't know what I expect from a Suede record really. I certainly wouldn't be listening to this album if I'd just heard Like Kids from some nobodies on Radio 6 Music. Like most people, I'm listening because I got a big buzz from the likes of Sleeping Pills and New Generation a long time ago.

But they are still madly glorious live, and I'm looking forward to seeing them doing this record in a couple of weeks in Glasgow.

Wow, the pair of What I'm Trying to Tell You and Tightrope.

xp p booming post

Suede, the Bauhaus of the 90s (the lyrics, the bowie-isms, the hysteria?, maybe better on the music side, but then Brett&co didn't record a standard like Bela Lugosi's Dead...
― erik, Tuesday, October 30, 2001 5:00 PM (14 years ago)

hmm, wonder if Suede should be my replacement band if this thing goes south (it almost seems too perfect, along with Bowid). Should the Bauhaus/Tones on Tail-Love and Rockets/Peter Murphy artist poll go on as planned?

David Bowie

Still trying to make sense of Night Thoughts. There are some really stunning songs like When You Were Young, Pale Snow and Learning To Be but then there are moments when they sound like they're on autopilot. The "la la las" in What I'm Trying To Tell You and every thing about Like Kids which ruins the flow of the second half. For me, Bloodsports was a much easier album to love.

Richard's guitar playing is often really amazing. Probably the best he's ever sounded.

I'm finding this much better than Bloodsports. Just so much more varied in tone. Outsiders and Like Kids sounded like, as you say, somewhat autopilot Suede as singles, but in the context of the album they're gorgeous.

I've just finished listening to the new record for the first time, and find it to be quite a leap from Bloodsports, although admittedly much less immediate. I think it's a step in the right direction, and I honestly didn't think they had a record like this in them at this stage. I think this record is more about the whole than the individual songs, a definite start-to-finish thing. Bloodsports surprised me with how good it was, and this has surprised me even more so.

I think this record is more about the whole than the individual songs

Was listening to it earlier and would agree with this. I like that all the tracks run together, it gives it a very unified feel. I'd say it's more of a cohesive whole than 'Bloodsports', but doesn't have a standout song in the way that 'Bloodsports' has "It Starts and Ends With You".

When You Were Young just clicked with me big time. The chorus is huge and absolutely devastating. I think my main problem with the album is how much I dislike, Like Kids and how it's placed awkwardly on the second half ruining the flow of a really beautiful second half.

That should have been When You Are Young. Amazing album opener.

I think it's a good song, myself, and think it's entirely necessary... the second half of the album would have been a bit more ballad heavy without it. I've listened to this album several times already today, I just keep finding myself wanting to replay it.

At first, I had the same thoughts as for Bloodsports : generic Suede arrangements with bland melodies i.e not interesting borderline annoying songs.
But listening to it again this morning, some of it clicked (a little). I'll give it more time although I still find it lacks something. a grace, charm or personality that I enjoy on their best work.
And again, the music/melodies really lack ideas and depth (never forget Bernard !).
and I don't really like the production/sound. it's too cold/clinical.
anyway, maybe I'll change my mind after a while.

A few more listens later, and yup, definitely thinking this one of their best records. It's definitely Suede MK2's greatest achievement at the very least.

I think I agree. As much as I enjoyed Bloodsports, I am glad that was the comeback record, because I think making that, and then playing live a lot more, allowed them to make this one.

really surprised how positive you guys are over this new record. going to have to play it here in the next day or two. looking forward to it now.

It's definitely Suede MK2's greatest achievement at the very least.

really ? that said, I don't rate Suede MK2 very high... even "Coming Up".
anyway, still working on the new one !

Yes, really! I'm seriously glad they made this record.

Yayyyy

'Pale Snow', 'I Don't Know How To Reach You' and 'What I'm Trying To Tell You' back-to-back is such a great run of tracks, not to mention 'I Can't Give Her What She Wants' and 'When You Are/Were Young' and 'Learning To Be' ... I hope that if they make more records, they continue on in this path.

after listening a lot more to this, I enjoy it now.
I like all the songs (although I could leave Outsiders, Tightrope and I can't give her what she wants. they're not bad but a bit meh) and the whole thing flows well. it almost feels a bit short ! (it's been a while since I have listened to a whole album !).
there's still nothing I really LOVE but many very good moments.
highlights for me are : "when you are/were young", "I don't know how to reach you" and my favourite track "Learning to be" (although the piano arrangement is a bit too close to "Daddy speeding". Or maybe because of that !).
"Like kids" is light and a cool break from the bleak mood (although nothing more than a fun chorus).
I might agree with the idea that it's the best Suede mk2 album (which again doesn't say much for me since there's nothing non-Butler that I would want to listen to nowadays...).
I still think the music (and some melodies) is a bit bland and lacks depth.
but it's a nice surprise to enjoy a Suede album after all these years... like meeting again a very old lost friend !

^ Fucking hell, I think the world has tilted on its axis!

Brett Anderson was recently interviewed on Swedish talk show Skavlan. You can see it about 37 minutes in here: http://www.svtplay.se/video/6328215/skavlan/skavlan-avsnitt-5.

At the end, some of Suede do an acoustic The Fur and the Feathers. Very nice. I wish they'd produce their records so you could hear his voice nice and clear like this. Anyway, you can find this performance separately fairly easily. It's currently only got 151 views, but I notice one ilx irregular has already managed to comment:

http://i.imgur.com/f45PJTp.png

ahah. that comment !
that live and acoustic version is nice but the part I prefer in that song is the coda which is brilliant. one my favorite moments on the record.

Yup, I totally agree, it's one of my favourite moments on the record too... still can't quite believe how good this record has turned out to be.

Saw them tonight in Glasgow. Couldn't focus on the film, though my gig partner supposedly cried. They picked the best songs in the second half though. It's worth seeing this brilliant band while they're still around. Intense fun during This Hollywood Life, So Young, New Generation, He's Dead. A fantastic performance.

Paul Nichols as in the Eastenders bloke from ages ago?

i fucking love this album, holy shit it's everything i want from music right now

sorry about swearing but omg

It's such a damn shame they can't get back over here. Everything I am hearing about the current shows has been amazing and like Maura says, what an album.

i fucking love this album, holy shit it's everything i want from music right now

― maura, Thursday, February 11, 2016 4:25 AM (22 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

sorry about swearing but omg

― maura, Thursday, February 11, 2016 4:25 AM (22 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Hehehehehe... no need to apologise at all! For what it's worth, this album has pretty much dominated my listening for the last couple of weeks... I've been catching up on other music and listening to old favourites, of course, but I still keep finding myself drawn to this record for yet another listen!

It is surprisingly good but after a few days listening to it regularly, I already get a bit bored.
It's my problem with Suede mk2. The compositions, even the best ones, lack depth and density.
they always seem a bit thin and superficial to me.

I wish I loved this. Trying to muster the gumption to write a longer review, all I come up with is, "Anderson's in splendid voice, the arrangements are eh."

yeah, arrangements included.
for instance I noticed that there are almost no guitar lines that are memorable and good on the whole record (even the solos after the chorus on "I don't know how to reach you" are nice but eh...). Most of the times, they're basically a rehash of the same ideas/tricks.
Overall, Anderson's voice always seems alone over some standardized Suede backing music. It lacks musical tension.
whereas most of the hooks were coming from the guitar (or even piano) on their early work.

saw them this week. band are great, new album leaves me mostly cold much like the last 4 have done. i think i've seen them too many times now to get anything out of the old songs. highlight was Obsessions oddly. not sure what the Tuesday night after-work crowd made of a film of people throwing up and killing themselves etc.

It is surprisingly good but after a few days listening to it regularly, I already get a bit bored.

I usually get "a bit bored" with most things that I listen to for a few days solid. With this record, though, there's been moments where I haven't been able to wait to listen to it or I've caught myself humming parts of it and thought "I've got to put this on immediately"

whereas most of the hooks were coming from the guitar (or even piano) on their early work.

Yeah, I completely disagree with this.

I mean, it sucks and everything that a couple of you guys aren't getting the same thing out of this record as I am, but for me this is quite possibly their 3rd best record or thereabouts, and I consider the first disc of Sci-Fi Lullabies to be an album in its own right.

Oh, as I said previously, I would agree that it's their best post-Butler album since Coming up was OK but really too superficial for me.
As for the hooks, for me, they almost all came from Butler or at least, the guitar hooks were as strong as the vocal hooks, creating the tension and making the whole richer than just a vocal melody over backing music.

Brett's lyrics are much stronger than they were on Bloodsports and Richard's playing is really the best it has ever been but for some reason I just can't get into this in a big way. When Bloodsports I couldn't stop playing it for at least a couple of weeks. This just hasn't been the same and I'm not sure why.

i'd struggle to come up with a post-Butler Top 5. Chemistry Between Us, Picnic.. By The Sea.. maybe a B side from that era. it's a crap rockist default position but after he walked they were done for. a pretty good indie band at best. i'd bet good money if most people heard the last 5 Charlatans albums they'd like just as many songs.

I don't know, I think the hooks/arrangements/(fake?) strings/everything on this album are absolutely top. I'd put it maybe number 4 on my list, too, after the first album, DMS and Sci-Fi Lullabies. It's definitely got an (intentional?) DMS vibe to it, maybe slightly less apocalyptic. Though no less dense. Anyway, I think the playing, singing, etc. is everything I'd want from Suede, especially Suede in 2016. In fact, if this was the follow up to Dog Man Star I don't think anyone would question its provenance.

i'd struggle to come up with a post-Butler Top 5.

true !
let's see...errr... I'd say : by the sea, everything will flow, europe is our playground, I don't know how to reach you... one last track... maybe trash !

In fact, if this was the follow up to Dog Man Star I don't think anyone would question its provenance.

I've actually thought about this a bit. I appreciate the new album, but if it was the follow-up to Dog Man Star it would be seen as an absolute disaster! Just so much more musically simple. I do think if this was the follow-up to the debut they could just about get away with it. The me of 1994 would've noticed it was a lot worse, but I still would've found things to like, and meanwhile there would be reviewers no doubt who'd identify the more mature/darker approach with an increase in quality.

My post Butler top five

1. Picnic By The Motorway
2. Europe Is Our Playground
3. Together
4. The Chemistry Between Us
5. Hit Me

Trash, Everything Will Flow, Simon, Sometimes I Feel I'll Float Away, Electricity, The Sound of the Streets, Snowblind, This Time, When You Are Young, Young Men, By the Sea and Let Go are all great too.

Wow "Eyeball Kicks", you really don't get Suede at all do you? Every musician matures and Brett and the guys have never sounded better to me, they're probably writing deeper stuff than they've ever done and what a great sound too.