suede - a new morning
i read a couple of reviews which indicated that this isn't a good suede release.
well i'm sorry - i disagree. this is a good suede release. ok its no 'ok computer' there is a minimum of challenging sonic experimentation but , its a suede album. its a decent suede album.
the band have now settled well into their sound and themed lyrics well despite the bad vibes that obviously happened during the making of this eg loss of nigel codling during the recording, the aborted original sessions, drugs etc. there is full on strings, delicate acoustic strumming, pared down tracks, and fully embellished tracks.
brets voice sounds better than i have ever heard before, the songs are strong and melodic and insist on repeated listening. there are several highlights which could easily stand up next to the bands history 'lonely girls', 'streetlife', beautiful loser, admittedly towards the end the pace does become a lot more laid back and even mellow but then the band are no longer young whippersnapper rockers anymore out to prove themselves
in fact one term for this is - autumnal, the season which suits the songs the most, as there are several references to rain/weather this theme seems to be purposeful.
one issue which did annoy was the limited editions access to the alternate versions .. if they really wanted us to hear these then surely a double cd version would be more interesting as there are few of the fans with the required net access (each track down modem ??) whereas the limited double cd has become a perfect initial marketing tool for many established acts - even david bowie !
but thats a small gripe for such a strong album.