Suede

I still get frustrated that they're using the same combinations of chord changes, melodies, arrangements. As with the previous two albums, every single song has brittle, arpeggiated guitar from start to finish (I realise this is their signature sound, but they used to apply more varied textures – Coming Up, for example, only has four songs built around this kind of guitar line). Even some fucking strummed acoustic guitar would sound novel and exploratory in the context of their current work.

BUT I still really love this new record! There's rarely a hint of spontaneity or accident anywhere, but it's till so much more alive than the last couple. And within the parameters they don't move much beyond, these are excellent songs. In particular, Wastelands, Mistress, Cold Hands, Life Is Golden, All The Wild Places... but there is no dud. It's 50 minutes of highly comforting pleasure.

yeah when i said this was a step down from Night Thoughts I was kind of wrong....this is growing on me with every listen. I think Brett and the gang probably need their comfort zone to turn out stuff this consistently good even when Suede are no longer the coolest thing going

Their best since Scary Monsters

Seriously, easily the best since Coming Up. Proper pretentious mess, thank god.

Probably the best since DMS

Coming Up is great though

I hadn't heard Coming Up until a couple of days ago! Having given it several listens I think I prefer the last two to it, although it's still good

No ruinous Beautiful Ones to stink the place up with reheated Oasis on the new records

Whaaaaat o_O

"We're tra-ha-hash, you and me"

Maybe you had to be there :)

xp

From what I can tell they didn't release any b-sides from Night Thoughts singles, and nothing so far from Blue Hour aside from the 7" bonus track in the deluxe package, is that right?

xp yeah Trash is a great song

'By The Sea', 'Picnic by the Motorway' and 'Saturday Night' would all be on a 15 track best of of mine

I think this is a good album.

Picnic By The Motorway is my favourite thing on Coming Up and would probably make my own Suede compilation.

Really? It's only the second longest track on there! ;)

The longest track is kind of a disappointing dirge tbh

It is.

I also listened to their 'bad albums' today. Actually, Head Music was more obviously a 'bad album' than A New Morning - the latter was much more cohesive and minding of its own business - but I guess the former had more personality. Neither were particularly great or bad, but they certainly lacked spark

A New Morning has a lovely sound to it, shame they couldn't have hooked up with Stephen Street earlier. The problem I have is it feels like the songs are going through the motions for the most part, Suede without the drama. It's a bit like when Pulp dropped all the sleaze and darkness on their final album, losing a lot of what made them appealing in the first place.

Brett's singing is really good on it, compared to now. I don't know what's happened to his voice more recently but I find it a bit uncomfortable to listen to it, like he's straining for something he can't quite reach anymore.

I think Head Music was a credible attempt to reinvent the band that didn't quite come off for a few reasons(Brett's smack habit and Neil's illness can't have helped). It has it's moments.

I like this new one, though on first listen it sort of sounds like the second side of an album.

http://thequietus.com/articles/25392-suede-interview-the-blue-hour

good stuff doran

yeah good interview, and the record sounds really interesting too

their new sound is not really for me but would love to see a live show

I'm trying to listen to it following all the raving reviews I have read/heard lately.
A few songs in, I still don't like the sound and arrangements (otm Eyeball Kicks !) but a few songs seem OK.
I have a very hard time understanding how it could be considered one of their best after DMS, though.
It seems to lack substance.
And Brett's singing on the opening track is simply cringy !

yeah DMS and debut clearly in a league of their own, Coming Up v different but almost great, the rest nowhere near

imo

Obviously the first two albums are a notch above but I really think this is the best one since then - both of those things can be true!

Yeah, I was talking about the many comments I read (not here, I think) saying it is their best after, not since, DMS !
(btw, my favourite is not DMS but the first one)

Agreed - the first album is not just my favourite Suede album but one of my favourite albums period

coming up is great & Beautiful Ones is one of their best, anti Coming Up fans confuse the hell out of me

The most baffling thing to me is why Brett keeps mentioning in interviews him digging up a dead bird to show his young son, as if that's a good idea

idk the decay of life is a p metal thing to teach your kids

The kid will end up with a heavy metal stutter then

Yeah that digging up a dead bird to show his young son the skeleton/corpse is... heavy.
That’s his goth/dark side (or star), I guess.

Btw I’ve listened to the whole album and... really don’t understand the hype.

Second volume of Anderson memoirs forthcoming:

https://www.thebookseller.com/news/suedes-brett-anderson-pens-sequel-memoir-871436

woo ! I didn't care at all for the first volume but I'm quite curious about this one !

I still haven't heard the new album, but the first four and a couple others -- woof.

Boy, was this thing hyped, even on these shorts.

Was wondering if this was a typo. Still wondering.

Ahah

the style of a woman, the kiss of a man

I absolutely love the S/T but have never managed to enjoy any of their subsequent albums despite my habitual preference for more progressive and dramatic stylings.

coming up is my fave cuz "trash" is so perfect any random nine songs could follow and still resonate

haha, I like that take

Coming Up definitely shares a certain immediacy with the debut. I should revisit Head Music (which was better than I remembered the last I listened) and New Morning (which ... was not?). And also the Tears album, which I always forget is out there. My go-tos remain Dog Man Star and Night Thoughts, with the debut not far behind.

coming up is my fave cuz "trash" is so perfect any random nine songs could follow and still resonate

the year it came out I could not stop freaking out about its greatness and it can still reach me at the "this song is specifically for a version of me who once existed" level

I've never been that much of a huge Suede fan but I dyed my hair black because of Trash

this year, everyone will become a huge Suede fan

Xpost
Yeah the Tears album is my 3rd favourite « Suede » album !

I've been listening again to their old albums due to this thread and that made me think that there was something special that made me love their debut (and to a lesser extent, "DMS"), besides the fact that I adored Butler as teenager learning to play the guitar, but I never really thought about what it was.
There was something mysterious and different to their songs and sound, especially on the first album and its singles/bsides.
OK there's all the glam, bowie, smiths etc but I always thought there was something else that these obvious references didn't have.
It's sensual, dark, impressionist, violently romantic...
And lately I realized that their music of that time reminded me of french late 19th/early 20th century classical. Especially Debussy (and Ravel too).
Listening to the debut a lot lately, I found out there is something in the structure, arrangements and melodies of many songs that evoke that musical approach.
For instance "She's not dead" could almost be a Debussy song (same with "Black and Blue").
And to me, the whole debut has that atmosphere that makes it so different from all the other british bands referenced (and their own albums after "DMS").
On "DMS", there are many touches that remind this too : "We are the pigs", with the blaring horns that announce the Ravelesque arrangements of "Still life" (especially the "Bolero" final).
There's "Black or Blue" as mentioned, which is not even pop music, to me (and it's quite impressive - or crazy, to release that in the middle of Britpop mania !).
That said, "DMS" has less of that early 20th french classical elegance and sensual charm than the debut. It's more a rock album.
That might be the reason why the debut had such a special and strong impact on me (and still has, everytime I go back to it).

someone else also really liked Trash

https://youtu.be/4Z9mvUCL-5U

That's a rip-off, no doubt, but a bloody good one.