release date: Sep. 2, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Ed Buller
label: Nude Records - nationality: England, UK
Tracklist: 1. "Trash" (3,5 / 5) - 2. "Filmstar" - 3. "Lazy" (4 / 5) - 4. "By the Sea" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "She" - 6. "Beautiful Ones" (4 / 5) - 7. "Starcrazy" - 8. "Picnic by the Motorway" - 9. "The Chemistry Between Us" (4 / 5) - 10. "Saturday Night" (4 / 5)
3rd studio album by Suede and the 3rd consecutive and so far last album to be produced by Ed Buller. With this, the band appears with a new line-up with Richard Oakes (replacing Bernard Butler) on guitar (Oakes had been selected among approx. 500 candidates to be guitarist of the band), and Suede introduces a more simple and lighter pop-minded album, which feels much as a natural follow-up to the glamorous debut with focus on glam rock, pop / rock (loads of 'flanger' guitar effect), and gone are the more complex and darker orchestrated arrangements found on Dog Man Star.
The album fared better than the '94 album (as it sold 'Platinum', selling more than 300.000 copies), and it also went to number #1 on the British album charts, just like the debut.
In the late 90s I found it a bit of a difficult one - I liked the hit songs, but also felt it too deep into "simple pop", which I found was the wrong turn compared to the stronger rock-bonds of Dog Man Star. In retrospect, I find it a much better album than just plain matter over content. I think, it represents a fine and durable collection of songs and it also displays the unique sound they established with this album, which I simply consider the band's second best studio release.
Recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]
