A New Morning

by Suede

Overview

When Bernard Butler left the band all those many years ago, few would have guessed that with him left the dangerous, romantic noir vibe that fueled Suede's first two albums. After all, Brett Anderson was supposed to be the Byronic prince of darkness, and without Butler around, it only made sense that he would indulge his taste for the theatrical. It didn't turn out that way, of course. The band hired young Richard Oakes and refashioned themselves as a glammy, fizzy guitar pop band whose elegantly wasted ballads were tales of love found, not love lost. Suede's fifth album, A New Morning, confirms that this band isn't about to release another Dog Man Star anytime soon, or even turn out a "Whipsnade," since they're now all about "Positivity," as the opening track and lead single crisply announces. Once that disappointment fades -- Suede did tragic romantic better than anybody, and it's hard not to wish they still did it -- it's easy to appreciate A New Morning as another solid, succinct collection of tuneful, stylish modern-day glam pop, nearly the equal of Coming Up, whose blueprint this follows to a tee. Song for song, it's better and more consistent than Head Music -- whose dabbling in vague electronic now seems mildly dated and whose songwriting seems slight -- thanks partially to Stephen Street's focused, flattering production, but also due to a sharp set of songs, highlighted not just by "Positivity," "Lost in TV," "When the Rain Falls" (where the piano sounds lifted from a Vince Guaraldi Peanuts special), and "Lonely Girls," but a triptych of songs that inexplicably borrow their titles from classic rock songs ("Beautiful Loser," "Street Life," "One Hit to the Body"). Plus, there's no denying that Suede does this music better than anybody else (and they sound both loose and muscular here), and that Anderson's voice is aging marvelously, sounding quite fetching with a slight hint of booze and tobacco wear. So, A New Morning isn't a new beginning, nor does it take many risks, but it does find Suede in top form with good songs and an appealing record. You might wish that it was a little more than that, but you'll be satisfied by what it is. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	09/10/2021
Label:	Demon Records / Edsel
UPC:	5014797906075
Rank:	63682

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Suede   Primary Artist
Brett Anderson   Vocals,Percussion,Guitar (Acoustic)
Richard George   Violin
Chris Worsey   Cello
Everton Nelson   Violin
Alex Lee   Organ,Piano,Clavinet,Harmonica,Keyboards,Mellotron,Wurlitzer,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Prophet Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
John Brandham   Horn
Millenia Strings   Strings
Sally Herbert   Violin
Anne Stephenson   Violin
Catherine Browning   Violin
Chris George   Violin
Ian Burdge   Cello
Lucy Wilkins   Violin
Stephen Hussey   Violin
Gillon Cameron   Violin
Julia Singleton   Violin
Neil Codling   Keyboards
Mat Osman   Bass (Electric),Organ (Hammond)
Roy Theaker   Violin
Frances Dewar   Violin
Simon Gilbert   Drums
Richard Oakes   Piano,Clavinet,Fender Rhodes,Guitar Effects,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Gini Ball   Violin

Technical Credits

Dan Grech-Marguerat   Engineer
Cameron Craig   Producer
Suede   Composer,Producer
Brett Anderson   Composer
Tom Stanley   Engineer
Dave Eringa   Mixing,Producer
Stephen Street   Mixing,Producer,Post Production
Bernard Butler   Composer
Ken Thomas   Producer
Sean Genockey   Producer,Engineer
Andrew Skeet   String Arrangements
Kat Gibb   Screenprints
Grant Gee   Video Director
Julian Gibbs   Video Director
Alex Silva   Mixing,Producer,Additional Production
Jim Abiss   Producer
Christian Lee   Video Director
Lindy Heymann   Video Director
Alex Lee   Composer
Tore Johansson   Producer
Dick Meaney   Producer
Sally Herbert   Arranger
Tony Hoffer   Producer
John Leckie   Mixing,Producer
Chris Lopez   Photography
Neil Codling   Composer
Gordon Vicary   Mastering
Henrik Bulow   Photography
Mat Osman   Composer,Producer
Simon Gilbert   Composer
Richard Oakes   Composer