Suede

Even though Suede were very much a part of the 1990s Britpop explosion, they always positioned themselves slightly on the fringes. While other bands drew inspiration from Madchester, laddish football culture, and 60s psychedelia, Suede were always more interested in romantic glam rock and post-punk. With frontman Brett Anderson leading the way, they combined theatrical drama with British kitchen-sink realism, creating a world that was both grimy and beautiful at the same time.

Their breakthrough came with their self-titled debut in 1993, which became the fastest-selling debut album in British history. This was followed by classics like Dog Man Star (1994) and Coming Up (1996). But unlike many of their contemporaries, Suede never lost their curiosity.

We last heard from them on Autofiction (2022), an album praised as one of the band’s strongest and rawest in decades. On September 5, they released their new, tenth album Antidepressants. And if Autofiction was a punky outburst, then Antidepressants is a post-punk reckoning with a broken present. Or, as Brett Anderson himself puts it: “This is broken music for broken people.”

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