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Review: Jack Foley
BERNARD Butler claims he has always known he would work with
Brett Anderson again, even though Suede fans might have thought
otherwise.
Far from being antagonists like John Squire and Ian Brown, however,
the two have maintained a strong mutual respect for each other
which has fuelled a sort of healthy competition between them.
Time spent apart merely served to underline the sense that they
work best with each other, so they re-teamed to create The Tears
- and the results are as good as Suede fans could have dared expect.
In truth, the sound of Suede reverberates throughout many of
the tracks, including the first single, Refugees, because
of the distinct vocal style of Anderson.
If anything, however, Butler's guitars are even more explosive,
providing an epic backdrop to some of the more pop-laced numbers.
Co-star, for example, is an epic ballad that features
some amazing guitar arcs, while the wall of guitars that mark
the arrival of Imperfection envelop you in a tidal wave
of musical greatness.
It's also an inspiring tale of love over materialism and false
beauty, featuring a genuinely rousing chorus that contains the
telling lyrics, 'your imperfections are so beautiful' and 'your
imperfections make you what you are' - evidence of the album's
ability to question what's going on around us.
As Anderson states: "There are lots of elements of 21st
Century life that really put me off, and I find distasteful.
"I wanted to make an album that was angrier and more questioning
than what I might have done before."
Likewise, Two Creatures, which begins with the lyric,
'this country looks like one big car park', a delightful ode to
the ability to remain individual in the face of so much conformity
('you and me we're just two creatures on the run').
Lovers is another sure-fire anthem, a glorious, melody-laden
love song that is big and bursting with hope.
It provides a wonderful contrast to the tenderness of Fallen
Idol, which once more features a blistering guitar arc from
Butler, set against Anderson's soaring vocals and a delicious
whistle that sees the song out.
Throughout Here Come The Tears, however, you get a feeling
of confidence that can only come from two artists at the peak
of their powers; excited by the prospect of working with each
other once again.
Brave New Century is another highlight and one which
Brett and Bernard readily rave about, featuring some emotive,
angry lyrics and towering guitar solos.
Lines include 'we sit and sit and choke on magazines / And worship
shit celebrities', and 'religion breathes like a disease / While
people spit on refugees', before segueing into the chorus, 'so
mother what should I believe'.
It's a majestic piece of music that defiantly proves that The
Tears are a force to be reckoned with.
Suede may have gone, but the legacy of Butler and Anderson lives
gloriously on.
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