SUEDE – AUTOFICTION
SUEDE'S fourth album since reforming in 2010 has been described by singer Brett Anderson as their take on a punk album – a fine contrast with 2018's The Blue Hour, a hazy, atmospheric collection.
Although not punk in the traditional sense, Suede capture the ferocity of the genre on tracks such as Black Ice, while jangling post-punk seems the primary influence on the driving Shadow Self.
Album opener She Still Leads Me On is a grand piece of music that soars high with heartfelt lyrics about loving "with a dangerous mind".
In many ways, Autofiction sees the band going back to basics, delivering swaggering emotion alongside vulnerability and a keen eye for the human drama around us.
It's an entertaining release that marries tenderness and violence in a way that matches the best of Suede's back catalogue.
4/5
OZZY OSBOURNE – PATIENT NUMBER 9
PLAGUED by ill health for many years, on his latest album Ozzy Osbourne sounds alive and kicking, delivering blistering riffs and his trademark allusions to black magic and spirits.
Patient Number 9 is an exhilarating ride and also a defiant one: "I'll never die, 'cause I'm immortal," he sings on track two, fittingly titled Immortal, while No Escape From Now imagines him rising triumphant from the grave.
The singer called in some favours for the record, with guest appearances from the likes of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi.
But Osbourne remains the star of the show, delivering a surprising energy that lifts the record's less interesting material.
Patient Number 9 is slightly unbalanced, with cuts like Darkside Blues sounding a little undercooked. Yet Osbourne's pleasing mix of rebellious attitude and tongue in cheek humour ensures it remains a rip-roaring journey.
4/5
GEORGE MICHAEL – OLDER (DELUXE, LIMITED EDITION BOXSET)
GEORGE Michael's 1996 album Older was described by the late singer as his "greatest moment".
This deluxe re-issue includes the critically acclaimed original 11 tracks which soothed listeners with soft, soulful beats and Michael's mellow, youthful voice.
Fastlove still stands out with its riff sampled from Patrice Rushen's Forget Me Nots and elements of funk, creating a seductive uptempo beat.
However, in retrospect, songs like The Strangest Thing and You Have Been Loved fail to evoke the various emotional stages of love, instead flatlining into a laborious lullaby.
The deluxe edition includes a flurry of tracks and remixes. The house remixes breathe new life into the original tracks: Stranger Things is taken to a higher plane and somehow Fastlove gets even better with the Forthright Extended mix.
Fans are in for a treat with the deluxe limited edition version and should fall in love with Michael all over again.
3/5
DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE – ASPHALT MEADOWS
ON THEIR 10th album, the indie stalwarts don't stray far from their plaintive, uplifting sonic template.
But these songs, which range from the nostalgic I Miss Strangers to the sprightly Here To Forever, are lifted by frontman Ben Gibbard's vocal performance and some devastatingly pretty guitar parts.
Fans of the Washington state band will know the drill: delicate indie with a big heart.
But Asphalt Meadows has a different trick, introducing a sense of paranoia to proceedings, perhaps the result of Gibbard's growing lockdown anxiety as he watched the news every day.
During the pandemic, he played livestreamed shows in which he revisited old Death Cab material and played covers by bands such as The Beatles.
All this feeds into a solid record that looks back at the band's 25-year history while moving forward in terms of tone and content.
3stars
