Thirty years after its release, Suede30 pushes its eponymous band to legend status

Consistently topping the charts were records made by largely English bands whose distinct dialects and indie charm have won over the international scene.

Amidst the explosion of the alternative music trend comes what we now know as the “big four”. The most iconic was the Gallagher brothers-led Oasis with their anthemic songwriting and love for tragicomic schtick within the band. In second place comes Blur, remembered best through frontman Damon Albarn, who were once carrying the spirit of the preceding Madchester with them. Pulp is the dark horse as – while their 1995 record Different Class is regarded as one of Britpop’s finest moments – they never enjoyed the same level of commercial success as Oasis and Blur did.

Last but not least comes Suede who, in 1993, had helped to engineer the whole trend with their self-titled debut. Now it's celebrating its 30th anniversary with new mixing and a bundle of other songs for both older fans and newer listeners to uncover. Key to what made this album a big hit with over a million copies sold is its glam influences and a certain Morrissey-like wit that makes the band champions of the lower class. As once said by Stuart Maconie from Q at the time of the album’s release, “Suede’s trick is to appear at the same time both swaggeringly aloof and as wretched as perennial underdogs.”

That stylistic impression you can feel as soon as “So Young” which begins the record with a complete shocker. With its soaring guitar riffs, immaculate high notes from lead singer Brett Anderson, and youthful angst, you can feel the escapism that’s buried underneath the drug euphemisms. This paves the way towards the difficulties and tribulations of life as a British youth.

On tracks like “Animal Nitrate”, “Moving”, “Metal Mickey”, and “Animal Lover”, primal metaphors come into play to show the allure of sensual desire. Helping with the case comes the ethereal waviness of the production, influenced no less by the psychedelic stage from the sixties, that adds to the magic of British life. On the other hand, “Breakdown”, “Pantomime Horse”, “Sleeping Pills”, and “She’s Not Dead” offer a darker, sobering reminder of how depression can drive one to consider ending their lives. Through its slow tempo, crescendoing climax of anguish, and a focus of production on picked guitar notes, these little pauses pull you out of the excesses of sex and put you into the sullen side of Britain.

When Suede ends with “The Next Life”, it’s as if there’s an abrupt break from the hedonism and the misery of the previous tracks. Dedicated to Anderson’s deceased mother, it’s made up of only a piano, a backing instrumental synth, and vocals. It’s often seen as one of the cornerstones of Britpop for its bittersweet ode to the town of Woking and the favourite pastime of “[flogging] ice cream ‘til the company’s on its knees”.

A masterpiece for the ways that it balances out sexual fervour with bittersweet friendships and relationships that end in tragedy, Suede’s re-release also comes with bonus tracks. While older fans might have recognised the songs on previous remasters, this version seeks to update the music with the best production there is. In turn, tracks like “To The Birds” or “Dolly” will have their layered sounds be more pronounced in how it influences our indie scene now. In particular, the cover of the Pretenders’ “Brass In Pocket” compliments the seductive, suave intention of the original that it sets the standard for all flirtatious songs to work up to. If you want to find a remaster that’s worth your time and money, then Suede is the gem to look into at this very moment.