There was a time when UK music journalists would devote entire pages to the latest Suede single, proclaiming them the saviours of British guitar music at the turn of the ‘90s. It was a lot of pressure for a young band, and their gold sparkle had taken on a decidedly brown hue by the decade’s end.
But 2013’s Bloodsports went a long way to recapturing their glory, and teasers emerged last year for an album and film project called Night Thoughts. These were peppered with references to such early Suede touchstones as the nightmare of domesticity and Kate Bush’s album, Hounds Of Love. Sure enough, the influence of both can be found here. In line with side two of Bush’s album – a concept piece about the last thoughts of a drowning witch– Night Thoughts follows a metaphorically drowning man who has found himself in domestic hell.
The album opens with When You Are Young, which unsettles immediately. Anderson’s typically dramatic, foreboding vocal is joined by icy, descending strings and children’s shrill voices buried low in the mix. No Tomorrow’s daft lyrics manage to raise a smile, despite being about Valium abuse. It’s also a good, loose rock number vaguely reminiscent of Suede’s ‘96 hit, Trash.
Pale Snow is a slow-burning epic that hits the mark without falling over the top. Tightrope alternately sees Anderson straining his voice, which hampers the song’s ill-advised attempt to be powerful. His falsetto rears up with better results on Learning to Be, while first single Like Kids verges on irritating.
Pared down, Night Thoughts could’ve been quietly epic, rather than a little overwrought, which has always been a fine line for Suede. The cinematic concept and lyrical theme are impressive in parts, but as a whole, the idea feels stretched, making it anti-climactic.
BY LEIGH SALTER
