SUEDE'S AUTOFICTION IS A LATE CAREER MASTERPIECE

Where to begin with this ninth Suede album Autofiction? I had no particular reference point for this record, as I’m not devoted to anything in the Suede catalogue. My previous favourite of theirs was the album before this one - 2017’s The Blue Hour - a totally different kettle of fish. I also love their B-sides collection but we’ll come back to that. When I heard about Autofiction being ‘Suede’s punk album’ or being a full-circle return to the band’s origins, I wasn’t excited, particularly. 

Then I listened to the damn thing. Here’s a run-through of sorts, which I hope will inspire you to spend time with this richly rewarding work. 

The album starts with the ‘lead single’ (if there is such a thing). ‘She Still Leads Me On’ is a rollicking opener (anything with a two note riff has me at ‘hello’). It’s sweet to know that this is Brett Anderson’s song for his dear mum and all the better for being a glorious rock song rather than a ballad. Next, ‘Personality Disorder’ is full of punk energy with Brett employing the trend for spoken word verses. Inspired by modern British bands such as Dry Cleaning, Yard Act and Working Mens Club. He’s very good at it. 

‘15 Again’ is reminiscent of The Cult at their best and ‘The Only Way I Can Love You’ is from deep in the Suede heartland, but both are just cracking tunes. There’s a real sense of reflection throughout the album that I love, something that taps into a curious phenomenon in ‘middle age’ where one spends more time reflecting on youth and formative years, for some reason (I’m sure connected to mortality etc.). This album does it better than any other I can think of, partly because the record is imbibed with a fresh, youthful energy that contrasts the lyrical content. 

The punk swagger comes back in with ‘That Boy On The Stage’, a heavy-as-fuck stomper of a track in which Brett brings his stage persona onto the record, with delightful results. 

It’s of note that the band spent four years writing the songs for Autofiction, with the final selected 11 songs paired down from 50. If that’s the case, given the quality of Suede’s previously ‘discarded’ tracks as collated on the B-sides collection Sci-Fi Lullabies in 1997, hearing some of the other 39 is a mouthwatering prospect. And, it might happen, as hinted by Brett when he appeared on The Art of Longevity recently. Watch this space. 

Moving on to the closer of side 1, ‘Drove Myself Home’ is the first signal that the album has true classic chops - breaking up proceedings with an epic ballad - which soars in signature Suede style but is held in check by a sombre, beautiful piano coda that I bet Radiohead would kill for even at this stage of their career.

Worth a brief ‘end of side 1’ pause to note the production on this album, which is superb. Somehow despite the racket being made, everything here sounds as clear as a bell and always listenable - the noisey aspects of the record perfectly calibrated to enhance the sheer strength of the melodies underneath.

So, on comes side two with more swagger. ‘Black Ice’ comes with a monster riff and big thumping bass that almost - almost, tips the album over into metal, and nothing at all wrong in that. Didn’t ACDC have a song called Black Ice come to think of it? 

But then hold your horses…

On the Art of Longevity podcast Brett told me about his ‘track number 7’ theory…that albums needed to slot in a big song around about then - just over the half-way mark, to keep the listener interested. Well, on Autofiction it is ‘Shadow Self’ that brings this already fabulous record up another notch. It is a thriller - lean and muscular. The Cure style bass riff and Brett’s whooping ‘owl noises’ that bridge the chorus and verses are spine-tingling - it cranks up the motor on this album into overdrive. It’s track 8 though, proving Brett’s theory to be exactly one out.

From this point on the album is one of those records that has every right to go on and finish you off - and it does: ‘Always The Quiet Ones’ is surely as good a ballad as this band have ever made and that’s saying something knowing those classics, such as ‘Wild Ones’ are Suede’s lasting mark on pop culture to a large extent. The swirling keyboard ending takes the biscuit. 

After that you're left a little breathless, so the beautiful ‘What Am I without You’ brings you down - at first. It’s in this love letter to Suede fans that Richard Oakes blows you away - not satisfied with one movement the solo comes in two parts - both of them epic. Let’s just pause for a minute here to pay tribute to Oakes’ work on this record. Co-writing with Brett throughout - Autofiction is Oakes’ Magnum Opus, he’s at the peak of his powers. Autofiction is a real moment in his writing and performance (as a virtuoso who never oversteps what the songs require). Not a single note is surplus to requirements on this album. If you play rock guitar this record is something to admire, even if you don’t love the music (you fool). 

That is the perfect penultimate album track. All we need is a perfect closer so brace yourself because here it comes…

‘Turn Off Your Brain and Yelp’ is a monster. Driving bass, rumble-in-the-jungle drums and a killer riff (another one) see Suede - the cerebral and pretentious Londoners - take on Black Sabbath. They come out of it rather well, partly because Oakes refuses to succumb to the cliche of the power chord, instead employing a light, choppy strum. Again, the bridge is just a thing of wonder, building up to a crescendo before looping back to another monster verse. Ozzy Osbourne could do a fine job filling in for Brett on this one if he ever has a sore throat. 

It finishes with an almighty slam and a sort of aftermath, an echo of Brett singing ‘reveal yourself’ accompanied by the song’s underlying guitar chord. It’s not so much going out with a bang and more a full-on demolition. It’s as hard as nails. 

Let me take the opportunity to make an understatement if I may. Autofiction is a late career masterpiece. Now what could be better than that? The world is chock-full of ‘old bands’ striving to make records as good as their biggest hits and it’s a hopeless task for the most part but Suede have somehow tapped into it. They take a big swing and hit it bang on. Brilliant songs + brilliant sequencing make a brilliant album. Bravo.