Autofiction (Expanded Deluxe Edition)

Reuniting with original producer Ed Buller after recording 2018s The Blue Hour with Alan Moulder, Suede dont return to a comfort zone on 2022s Autofiction. While there are certainly recognizable thematic elements that tie the record back to the hyper-gothic fantasias of Dog Man Star, Suede 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, Autofiction is decidedly the work of men of a certain age: the opener "She Still Leads Me On" isnt a testament to a lover, its an ode to a deceased mother. That sense of mortality is an undercurrent on Autofiction, intertwining with desires to recapture lost youth and a frank acceptance of midlife limitations. Its a mature work, but its 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 Suede 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

復活後の4作目、通算9枚目となる4年ぶりのニュー・アルバムは、盟友エド・ビューラーをふたたびプロデューサーに迎えて制作された力強い仕上がりの一枚に。ブレットが亡き母に捧げた軽やかで美しい先行シングル"She Still Leads Me On"を冒頭に据え、若ぶることのない普通にアダルトな在り方が自然体のギター・サウンドにも現れているようで素晴らしい。『Head Music』(99年)以来の最高位となる全英2位を獲得済み。
bounce (C)大原かおり