Reuniting with original producer
Ed Buller
after recording 2018's
The Blue Hour
with
Alan Moulder
,
Suede
don't return to a comfort zone on 2022's
Autofiction
. While there are certainly recognizable thematic elements that tie the record back to the hyper-gothic fantasias of
Dog Man Star
swap their inclinations for cinematic sweep for a rushing cavalcade of guitars, resulting in their loudest, noisiest album since
Coming Up
. Where that record celebrated the trashy transience of youth,
is decidedly the work of men of a certain age: the opener "She Still Leads Me On" isn't a testament to a lover, it's an ode to a deceased mother. That sense of mortality is an undercurrent on
, intertwining with desires to recapture lost youth and a frank acceptance of midlife limitations. It's a mature work, but it's delivered by a veteran band who know how to wield their power: the guitars and synths create lacerating, invigorating sheets of sound, accentuating and refuting the romanticism of vocalist
Brett Anderson
. The last time
sounded this muscular and urgent they were still in the process of discovering themselves. Here, the quintet know how to deploy not just their strengths but their distinctive blend of nervy post-punk, overheated glam, and yearning poetry to make an album that sounds full, complete, and utterly alive. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine