When Bernard Butler left the band all those many years ago, few would have guessed that with him left the dangerous, romantic noir vibe that fueled Suede's first two albums. After all, Brett Anderson was supposed to be the Byronic prince of darkness, and without Butler around, it only made sense that he would indulge his taste for the theatrical. It didn't turn out that way, of course. The band hired young Richard Oakes and refashioned themselves as a glammy, fizzy guitar pop band whose elegantly wasted ballads were tales of love found, not love lost. Suede's fifth album, A New Morning, confirms that this band isn't about to release another Dog Man Star anytime soon, or even turn out a "Whipsnade," since they're now all about "Positivity," as the opening track and lead single crisply announces. Once that disappointment fades -- Suede did tragic romantic better than anybody, and it's hard not to wish they still did it -- it's easy to appreciate A New Morning as another solid, succinct collection of tuneful, stylish modern-day glam pop, nearly the equal of Coming Up, whose blueprint this follows to a tee. Song for song, it's better and more consistent than Head Music -- whose dabbling in vague electronic now seems mildly dated and whose songwriting seems slight -- thanks partially to Stephen Street's focused, flattering production, but also due to a sharp set of songs, highlighted not just by "Positivity," "Lost in TV," "When the Rain Falls" (where the piano sounds lifted from a Vince Guaraldi Peanuts special), and "Lonely Girls," but a triptych of songs that inexplicably borrow their titles from classic rock songs ("Beautiful Loser," "Street Life," "One Hit to the Body"). Plus, there's no denying that Suede does this music better than anybody else (and they sound both loose and muscular here), and that Anderson's voice is aging marvelously, sounding quite fetching with a slight hint of booze and tobacco wear. So, A New Morning isn't a new beginning, nor does it take many risks, but it does find Suede in top form with good songs and an appealing record. You might wish that it was a little more than that, but you'll be satisfied by what it is.

时代总需要一些东西好让自己铭记.Coming Up正是这样一张专辑.所有人都看到Suede的成功和一炮而红,所有人都看到Dog Man Star的深邃和内涵,所有人都知道下一张专辑他们会有多么大的压力.人员变动之后Suede献上不同以往的流行化的专辑.不得不说这一张专辑是自信的,就旋律来说大气了不少.美妙的吉他曲是这盘专辑的亮点.每一首歌都是不可多得的精品.值得一提的是这盘专辑半数以上的曲目都被用来作单曲,由此可见专辑的质量以及Suede的进步.

无疑Suede是近乎完美的乐队.有好听的歌,有足够多的话题跟新闻,有资历,有阅历.10年来的这张单曲集,对他们有感情的人一定会带着很复杂的心态在听.毕竟Suede已经改变了太多.从最初的So Young,到风光无限的Beautiful Ones,以及内敛的Wild Ones,每个时期的Suede都作出了不可多得的精品.这样的乐队选择告别,也许正当时吧.