Suede are back on the scene, shaking their bits to the hits they spawned in the ’90s as the black sheep of the Britpop family. This compilation is a denser, darker collection than 2003’s Singles – the first disc is almost exactly the same, though we’re spared us the insipid Positivity and other inconsequential add-ons.
Brett Anderson has noted that his recently reformed band may record new material, but they will only release it if it lives up to the quality of their back catalogue. The Best of Suede is a reminder of how unlikely it is the band will ever recapture the magic of the period when Bernard Butler was guitarist. The intensity of the Butler/Anderson songwriting team made for some wonderfully sordid singles and B-sides that were almost as good, sometimes better.
Disc 1 is an even spread of singles from the Butler era and the period when the younger, less intense Richard Oakes took over as guitarist/songwriter. Though their albums became less consistent with each subsequent release, the singles from this later period still stand up pretty well, particularly the perky Coming Up numbers and the dreamy, synth-led She’s In Fashion.
The real selling point here is the second disc, which delves into B-sides and a handful of album tracks – here, the balance is clearly more weighted towards the early years. While this is a great collection for a nostalgia fix, dedicated Suede fans would be better served by the remastered original albums, which each come with a full album’s worth of B-sides, demos and rarities.
Best track: Animal Nitrate
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: Suede SUEDE, Dog Man Star SUEDE
In A Word: Seductive
