Night Thoughts | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 22 January 2016 | |||
Recorded | 2014 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 47:39 | |||
Label | Warner Music UK | |||
Producer |
| |||
Suede chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Night Thoughts | ||||
|
Night Thoughts is the seventh studio album by English alternative rock band Suede. Produced by long-time collaborator Ed Buller, the album was released through Warner Music UK on 22 January 2016 to widespread critical acclaim. It was accompanied by a feature film, directed by Roger Sargent. During their 2016 tour the band performed from behind a screen on which Sargent's film was projected during the first half of their set. The album is considered by many critics to be the band's finest work since 1994's Dog Man Star . [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
In January 2014 vocalist Brett Anderson revealed that Suede were in the middle of the writing process for a new album. [9] Anderson mentioned that the band "want to carry on writing and pushing forward, so we're taking it somewhere else now." [9] In March, keyboardist Neil Codling posted that Suede were in the studio recording the follow-up to Bloodsports (2013). [10] The album, which was recorded in London and Brussels, features a full string section. [11] The majority of the album was recorded in Belgium in one session, "record[ing] all the music [...] as one piece". [12] Recording was produced by Ed Buller. [13] The album was initially planned for release in 2015. [10] Anderson explained the band wanted to "go somewhere else with [Night Thoughts], to make something with a bit more scope." [12]
Codling compared "Outsiders" to the likes of "Trash" and "Beautiful Ones", calling it "a rallying cry for the excluded." [14]
Mat Osman talked about the writing process:
"Neil and Richard pretty much wrote a record, they wrote about 45 minutes of music, lots of which ran into each other and lots of different themes re-emerged. We went to Belgium which were we started recording and basically recorded everything without Brett having any melodies or any words, which he’s never done before, so it was a bit of a leap in the dark. And then he sat down to write to the whole thing and we had no idea if it was going to work, it hasn’t ended up the same, uh since then we‘ve added about 4 songs and cut quite a lot of it and moved stuff around. It always started off as a record that was influenced by film music and stuff like that, the way you can have quite meandering pieces and scenes that reemerge, theres lots of stuff on the record that is made up of bits and pieces of other songs." [15]
In February 2015 Suede debuted "What I'm Trying to Tell You" live while at the NME Awards. [16] On 7 September, Night Thoughts was announced for release. [13] The band performed the whole album in full on 13 and 14 November 2015 at London Roundhouse. [11] These dates also serve as the premiere of the Night Thoughts film, [11] which played in the background behind the band. [13] The DVD version of the film is included in a special edition of the Night Thoughts LP. [13]
On the press release, director Sargent stated:
"The record deals with a lot of familial themes – life, death, love, anguish and despair; themes that are expanded upon in its visual companion, providing a study of how those elements affect the human psyche. It resonated with me for many reasons, not least because my mother passed away a few days after I started writing a story for the film. The film starts with a man drowning in the waters of a deserted beach at night, as he fights for life, his mind plays out the events that lead him to be there." [17] [18]
On 2 September 2015 the band released a teaser video that was thought to be leading to a new album. [19] Bassist Mat Osman linked to this video from Twitter with the caption "It begins". [19] A trailer for the film and the album was released on 7 September. [20] On 24 September, "Outsiders" was made available for streaming. [21] Night Thoughts was released on 22 January 2016. [13] It was promoted with a series of in-store acoustic gigs, including a session at HMV, Oxford Street in London.
The album peaked at no. 6 on the UK Albums Chart; and as of September 2018, has recorded UK sales of 29,117, according to the Official Charts Company. [22]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.5/10 [23] |
Metacritic | 80/100 [24] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [25] |
The Daily Telegraph | [26] |
The Guardian | [2] |
The Independent | [27] |
Mojo | [28] |
NME | 4/5 [29] |
Pitchfork | 7.5/10 [30] |
Q | [31] |
Rolling Stone | [3] |
Spin | 8/10 [32] |
Night Thoughts received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 80, which indicates "generally favourable reviews", based on 29 reviews. [24] AllMusic senior critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the album, stating: "With that past behind them, Suede can still dwell on big issues of love and mortality, but now that the past is in perspective, it all means a little bit more and what lies ahead is a little more precious, and that wide view makes Night Thoughts all the more moving." [25] Writing for Exclaim! , Cam Lindsay stated: "Suede establish and uphold the album's gravitas with the type of symphonic grandiosity we've come to anticipate from them." [33] The Guardian 's Caroline Sullivan praised the album, calling it "another victory for the misfits." [2] Andy Gill of The Independent wrote: "'How long will it take to break the plans that I never make?' It’s a question that was inevitably begged by those previous celebrations of low-rent outlaw glamour, and, in attempting to answer it, Suede may have made their best album." [27] Consequence of Sound's John Hadusek thought that the record "finds a middleground between the guitar pop of the Coming Up era and the moodier textures of Dog Man Star ," and regarded it as "a fine entry in their already strong discography." [34]
Pitchfork critic Stuart Berman was positive in his assessment of the album, stating: "With Night Thoughts Suede once again leap up off the dancefloor to swing from the chandeliers." Berman further stated that the record "isn’t a rock opera per se, though it gamely assumes the form of one." [30] The Quietus' Luke Turner thought that musically, the album "is the most solid and focussed-sounding album Suede have ever realised" and commented: "It certainly is the sound of a band stepping out of their own shadow to finally be all they can be." [35] Rachel Brodsky of Spin wrote: "Night Thoughts honors Suede’s longstanding place in Brit-rock history as theatrical brooders with a penchant for pop and post-punk, while also celebrating the five-piece’s growth by supplying listeners with another round of swirling dance ballads and operatic, Dog Man Star-ry ruminations." [32] Rolling Stone 's Ashley Zlatopolsky described the record as the band's "most cohesive album to date, putting a decisively modern twist on their definitive Brit-pop." [3]
Salon included the album in its list of the 14 "criminally underrated albums" of the year. Annie Zaleski felt that, although the album lacked the pop hooks of Bloodsports, the album had its own merits in "rich orchestral flourishes, dramatic guitar arpeggios and vocalist Brett Anderson’s still-pristine, theatrical croon." [36]
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Drowned in Sound | UK | 16 Best Albums of 2016 [37] | 2016 | 10 |
Esquire | UK | 20 Best Albums of 2016 [38] | 2016 | * |
Fopp | UK | 100 Best Albums of 2016 [39] | 2016 | 28 |
Flavorwire | US | 10 Best Albums of 2016 [40] | 2016 | * |
Gigwise | UK | 51 Best Albums of 2016 [41] | 2016 | 3 |
Louder Than War | UK | 50 Best Albums of 2016 [42] | 2016 | 44 |
Mojo | UK | 50 Albums of the Year [43] | 2016 | 33 |
musicOMH | UK | 50 Best Albums of 2016 [44] | 2016 | 39 |
The Quietus | UK | 100 Best Albums of 2016 [45] | 2016 | 36 |
Radio X | UK | 25 Best Albums of 2016 [46] | 2016 | * |
The Daily Telegraph | UK | Best Albums of 2016 [26] | 2016 | * |
Wales Arts Review | UK | 50 Best Albums of 2016 [47] | 2016 | 26 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "When You Are Young" | 4:18 | |
2. | "Outsiders" |
| 3:53 |
3. | "No Tomorrow" |
| 3:51 |
4. | "Pale Snow" |
| 2:42 |
5. | "I Don't Know How to Reach You" |
| 6:12 |
6. | "What I'm Trying to Tell You" |
| 4:11 |
7. | "Tightrope" |
| 3:51 |
8. | "Learning to Be" |
| 3:21 |
9. | "Like Kids" |
| 3:36 |
10. | "I Can't Give Her What She Wants" |
| 4:45 |
11. | "When You Were Young" |
| 2:19 |
12. | "The Fur and the Feathers" |
| 4:40 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Film" | 52:10 |
2. | "Trailer" | 1:07 |
3. | "Teaser" | 0:20 |
4. | "Outsiders" (music video) | 4:12 |
MusicSuede
Additional musicians
| Technical
Artwork
|
Cast
| Production
|
Chart (2016) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [48] | 72 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [49] | 29 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [50] | 35 |
Croatian International Albums (HDU) [51] | 2 |
Danish Albums (Hitlisten) [52] | 22 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [53] | 23 |
French Albums (SNEP) [54] | 64 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [55] | 31 |
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [56] | 11 |
Irish Albums (IRMA) [57] | 14 |
Italian Albums (FIMI) [58] | 54 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [59] | 34 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [60] | 25 |
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [61] | 40 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [62] | 26 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [63] | 37 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [64] | 71 |
UK Albums (OCC) [65] | 6 |
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [66] | 10 |
Suede are an English rock band formed in London in 1989 by singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Justine Frischmann, and bass player Mat Osman. Drawing inspiration from glam rock and post-punk, Suede were dubbed "The Best New Band in Britain" by Melody Maker in 1992, and attracted much attention from the British music press. The following year their debut album Suede went to the top of the UK Albums Chart, becoming the fastest-selling debut album in almost ten years. It won the Mercury Music Prize and helped foster 'Britpop' as a musical movement, though the band distanced themselves from the term.
13 is the sixth studio album by English alternative rock band Blur, released on 15 March 1999. Continuing the stylistic shift away from the Britpop sound of the band's early career, 13 explores experimental, psychedelic and electronic music.
Brett Lewis Anderson is an English singer best known as the lead singer and primary lyricist of the band Suede. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he fronted The Tears with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler in 2004-2006, and released four solo albums on which he also played guitar and keyboards. Suede re-formed in 2010; they continue to record and tour.
Suede is the debut album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in March 1993 on Nude Records. It was recorded in London at Master Rock studios late 1992 and early 1993 and was produced by Ed Buller. At the time the fastest-selling debut album in British history in almost a decade, Suede debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart, won the 1993 Mercury Music Prize, and is often cited as one of the first Britpop records. Displaying a sound of Britishness and glam rock, its music and lyrical content has been compared to The Smiths and early David Bowie.
Coming Up is the third album by English alternative rock band Suede, released on 2 September 1996 through Nude Records. It was the band's first album since the departure of guitarist Bernard Butler, who was replaced by Richard Oakes. Also added to the band was keyboardist Neil Codling. The album was nominated for the 1997 Mercury Prize. A commercial and critical success, Coming Up was the second by the band to reach no. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, producing five top ten singles and receiving a favourable reception at home and in the US. Coming Up was the album that introduced Suede to a worldwide audience, in places such as Europe, Canada and Asia.
Dog Man Star is the second album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in October 1994 on Nude Records. The album was recorded in London at Master Rock studios in early 1994, and was produced by Ed Buller. It was the last Suede album to feature guitarist Bernard Butler; growing tensions between him and singer Brett Anderson ended with Butler leaving the band before recording was complete. As a result, some tracks on the album had to be finished with the assistance of session musicians.
A New Morning is the fifth studio album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in September 2002. By the time the album was released, public interest in the band had waned, as shown by the poor charting of both the album and singles. Despite this, however, the album received moderate praise from critics. It is the only Suede album not to be released in the US. It was the last studio album released by the band before their seven-year hiatus and reunion in 2010. Before recording took place, keyboardist and guitarist Neil Codling left the band due to his health concern, and later was replaced by former Strangelove guitarist, Alex Lee. As Codling returned to the band for their 2010 reunion, this is their only studio album to have featured Lee.
Head Music is the fourth album by English alternative rock band Suede, released by Nude Records in May 1999. Produced and mixed by Steve Osborne, Head Music features a more electronic sound, which was a new approach for the band. The recording of Head Music was plagued with difficulties such as singer Brett Anderson's addiction to crack, and keyboardist Neil Codling's struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome. The album still went to number 1 on the UK Albums Chart, however, making it the band's third and final chart-topping album. Overall, the album received generally favourable reviews from critics.
Sci-Fi Lullabies is a two-disc compilation album by English alternative rock band Suede released by Nude Records on 6 October 1997, consisting of B-sides from the singles that were released from the group's first three albums. It reached no. 9 on the UK Albums Chart, and received universal acclaim on release. In subsequent years, the record has been hailed as one of the finest B-side compilations in popular music.
"Animal Nitrate" is the third single by English rock band Suede, released through Nude Records on 22 February 1993 and later included on the band's debut album Suede. It charted at No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the highest-charting single from the album. The song is the band's highest-charting single in Ireland and New Zealand, peaking at No. 11 in both countries. It also debuted and peaked at No. 21 in Sweden but stayed on the chart for only two weeks.
"The Wild Ones" is the second single from the album Dog Man Star by English rock band Suede, released on 7 November 1994 through Nude Records. The song peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart and number six in Iceland.
Neil John Codling is an English musician and songwriter, best known as the keyboardist, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and co-songwriter for the alternative rock band Suede.
The discography of the English alternative rock band Suede consists of nine studio albums, four compilation albums, five video albums and over twenty singles. Suede were formed in 1989 by singer Brett Anderson, bassist Mat Osman and guitarist Justine Frischmann. Guitarist Bernard Butler later joined after the group responded to an ad in the Melody Maker. The group played as a four-piece with a drum machine until drummer Simon Gilbert joined. Frischmann left before the group released any material.
Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys is the fourth studio album by American rock band My Chemical Romance, released on November 22, 2010, by Reprise Records. Its songs are associated with the band's well known sound of alternative rock, pop-punk, and punk rock, but also introduces new musical elements, including power pop, pop rock, and electronic rock. The primary musical inspiration for the album came from contemporary rock, psychedelic rock, and protopunk bands of the sixties and seventies. It was the final album released by the band before their six-year disbandment from 2013 to 2019.
Bloodsports is the sixth studio album by English alternative rock band Suede. It was released on 18 March 2013, via Warner Bros. Records. It is their first studio album since A New Morning in 2002.
This Is All Yours is the second album by English indie rock band alt-J, released on 22 September 2014 through Infectious. It was promoted with four singles: "Hunger of the Pine", "Left Hand Free", "Every Other Freckle", and "Warm Foothills". It topped the UK Albums Chart, was runner up in Belgium, Australia, and Canada and reached #4 in the United States. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.
Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance is the ninth studio album by Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian, released on 19 January 2015. It was the first album by the group to be distributed by Matador Records worldwide. The album was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2014, and marked the first time the band worked with producer Ben H. Allen III. "The Party Line" was announced as the first single from the album on 29 October 2014, with its first airplay on BBC 6 Music.
Music Complete is the tenth studio album by English rock band New Order. It was released on 25 September 2015 by Mute Records, their debut on the label. The album features guest vocals from Elly Jackson of La Roux, Iggy Pop, and Brandon Flowers of The Killers.
The Blue Hour is the eighth studio album by English alternative rock band Suede. The album was released on 21 September 2018.
Autofiction is the ninth studio album by English alternative rock band Suede. The album was released on 16 September 2022 via BMG to critical acclaim. It was their first release in four years, following 2018's The Blue Hour and their first since Night Thoughts in 2016 to feature longtime producer Ed Buller. The album was created as a stylistic distinction from their previous reunion work, which had taken on a more orchestral and cinematic scope.
Night Thoughts reconnects Suede with their grand ambition and outsider instincts: and, critically, it's their best since 1994's Dog Man Star.