When Suede first showed up on the scene in the early ’90s with their flamboyant and sometimes over the top style, the last thing you would have thought they would be described as would have been “resilient.”
Yet here we are in 2022, and Suede has just released their ninth record. It’s hard to believe this is also their fourth record in the past decade, coming back from having survived the departures of Bernard Butler, a wickedly bad drug addiction that led to a terrible record, and a long layoff which would have signaled the end for most bands. Suede is, above all else, resilient.
The past decade has seen a resurgence and to the surprise of many, this new Suede has released four really good records. Much like their tour mates Manic Street Preachers, Suede has spent the decade redefining an experimental sound. Autofiction marks a return to the early days of the band. After the conceptual restraint that was The Blue Hour, it is pretty clear that this record was one made during the pandemic with the intention that it be be played live.
The album is full of singable choruses and a few tracks that are primed to be singles (whether the concept of singles still exists is another story). This leads me to the first track off the record. “She Leads Me On” has all the hallmarks for a classic Suede single – multiple sing along opportunities, high pitched choruses, and references to someone who is a “she.” Vaguely similar in structure to “New Generation,” it’s a refreshingly good straight up rock tune, something that for whatever reason seems rare these days, and I’m here for it.
Suede and Manics are touring North America next month in a tour you probably know about but damn, get your tickets if you haven’t already.