Suede swings from strength to strength. Their one-off reunion rolled into well over a decade of consistent album releases and wonderful tours. It was not until Autofiction, their masterclass of a record which is storming towards its second year out there in public, that the band hit a personable groove. Brett Anderson puts himself and his consistent, glam-rock adjacent lyrics on the line. Where Suede is mentioned there is often risk. A desire to push the envelope and present themselves not as a legacy act but as a collective still capable of creating at a level expected of them. The bar is high, and higher still when they are so confident in their live work that an entire album is put out. Autofiction: Live may serve as a Record Store Day exclusive but the neat versions and boisterous energy found in their shows is transferred so naturally to vinyl.
Like any great live album, it begins with a cheering crowd and a frontman demanding noise from a paying audience. Unwrap the envelope this Autofiction: Live project is packaged in and crack on. Short, punchy and live vocals from Anderson on She Still Leads Me On linger on the live set qualities he would provide, changing the tempo and involving the audience as the instrumentals remain consistent. In hindsight, the track list for Autofiction works wonderfully. Definite live show material opens the album and the rarities like Drive Myself Home and the integral but elusive What Am I Without You are collated here from Rough Trade recordings for those hardened fans. Relying on a crowd is always a mixed bag as is the case for 15 Again but this has been the draw of Suede. They are not afraid of a rowdy or wild audience and play to the strengths of each night. Repeat viewings and listens of their live material are as unique an experience as they get from show to show.
Autofiction: Live is an incredible example of how electric and charismatic a frontman Anderson is. His calls to stand up and have it before That Boy On the Stage are a command not just for the audience but the listener at home. With those builds of feverish, sweaty crowds comes the silence of Drive Myself Home. Those respectful moments which wash over the audiences are an incredible asset, a triumph of gig etiquette put to vinyl. What Am I Without You marks the finest point of an excellent live album. Quality live versions with sprinkles of spontaneity, the swear-fuelled futility of losing a lover and companion is brought to life with a booming rush of sincere quality. Suede has always held this in them, but it took them a little longer to get to the truly out-there, obvious personal core.
Listeners are all the better off now they are opening the door to their heads and their hearts. Autofiction: Live is exceptional. Great instrumental work filters through on the B-Side and is given an extra platform. Richard Oakes is the dark heart of the band, keeping it all together with underrated and formidable work alongside Mat Osman keeping the tempo rumbling along. Suede has never sounded better. They are rivalling their 1990s heyday with every fragile, gothic-like rock step they take. Autofiction will define them as one of the finest exports of the UK music scene. Make no mistakes about it. Those who remain unconvinced merely need to get their hands on this, a masterful piece highlighting a band at their live, spontaneous best.
