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Autofiction (album)

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Autofiction
A stark black and white image of a man lying on a mattress. His back is facing the camera and his face is obscured. His hand is resting on his back as if his arms are wrapped around him.
Studio album by
Suede
Released16 September 2022 (2022-09-16)
Recorded2020–2022
StudioKonk, London
Length45:30
LabelBMG
ProducerEd Buller
Suede chronology
The Blue Hour
(2018) 		Autofiction
(2022)
Singles from Autofiction
  1. "She Still Leads Me On"
    Released: 23 May 2022
  2. "15 Again"
    Released: 8 August 2022
  3. "That Boy on the Stage"
    Released: 2 September 2022

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.[1]

Background

[edit]

In November 2020 it was announced that Suede were in the process of recording a ninth studio album. During an interview on the anniversary of Coming Up, lead singer Brett Anderson described the new album's sound as "nasty, brutish and short". Eighteen months after the initial announcement, on 23 May 2022, it was announced that the title of the new album was Autofiction and that it would be released via BGM on 16 September the same year. Alongside this, the title of the album's lead single was revealed to be "She Still Leads Me On". The track, inspired by Anderson's late mother, debuted later that night at a concert in Brussels and was live-streamed to fans via the band's YouTube channel. The album's creation followed the release of Anderson's memoirs, Coal Black Mornings in 2018 and Afternoons with the Blinds Drawn the following year. This informed the lyrics and themes of the album, leading it to have an autobiographical focus. On the title "Autofiction", Anderson stated "Autofiction is a genre that's part memoir, part fiction, to a certain extent, you're manipulating the truth. No art is 100pc truth. Even a memoir in which a writer thinks he's just delivering the nuts and bolts of his life is still making decisions about what they leave out and what they decide to include. At the other end of the spectrum, The Lord of the Rings is the ultimate fantasy book, with its wizards and goblins, but it still contains human truths."[2]

Recording

[edit]

The album was intended to be recorded live in small venues with the band performing under the assumed name "Crushed Kid" in order to bring the band's live sound for the record. However, these plans were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] The album was primarily recorded in London at Air Studios, Konk, Sarm Music Village and Toneville, with additional recording done at RMV Studios, Stockholm, and Studio28, Bangkok. The album was recorded and mixed with a live sound in mind, featuring few overdubs and additional musicians in an attempt to replicate a live performance.

Release and promotion

[edit]

Brett Anderson stated that: "Every record is a reaction to the last record to some extent. You don't want to just keep going in the same direction. I wanted to come back and make something that felt a little bit more raw, a little bit more angry, a little bit more nasty. 'Autofiction' is our punk record, and we're fucking proud of it."[3]

Autofiction was released 16 September 2022 and charted at No.2 on the UK Albums Chart, with sales of 14,038.[4] The band thus secured their ninth Top 10 album and highest-charting release since 1999's Head Music.[4]

In November 2022 'The Only Way I Can Love You' was added to BBC Radio 2's playlist and 'Personality Disorder' to the Radio 6 playlist.

On 8 November 2023 Suede announced 'Autofiction: Expanded', a 3-disc CD box-set.[5] Disc 1 contains the studio album, disc 2 contains 6 b-sides and bonus tracks, including previously unreleased 'There Is No Me If There Is No You', and disc 3 contains the full Autofiction tracklisting recorded live across the band's sold out March 2023 UK tour. This re-issue was released on 8 December 2023.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.0/10[6]
Metacritic85/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Clash8/10[9]
The Daily Telegraph[10]
The Guardian[11]
Mojo[12]
NME[13]
PopMatters8/10[14]
Record Collector[15]
The Times[16]
Uncut8/10[17]

Autofiction received positive reviews from music critics upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 85, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "Universal acclaim".[7]

Among the positive reviewers was Bella Savignano for Clash. In the article, Savignano called the album "simultaneously forward-looking and nostalgic. It pays homage to the callow naivety of the young band they once were in its thrashing form and gritty sentiment, but with the sonic maturation and profound lyricism of a group who has paid their dues. Though the days of the jangly, innocuous Britpop they were so integral to establishing are gone, Suede haven't lost their roots – they've just re-established them for a new era."[9] Similarly, Phil Mongredien from The Guardian claimed, "there's barely a misstep in Autofiction's 45-minute running time," and that it was "A late-career triumph."[11] Victoria Segal also complimented the album in the review for Mojo, stating that "Autofiction builds its own emotional momentum as Suede, once again, write new chapters of their story."[12]

In the review for NME, Andrew Tendell wrote that the album, "finds the indie greats getting back in the garage to make a racket. This is a band with a lust for life."[13] In Record Collector, Kevin Harley stated that it was, "An album that taps into Suede's galvanic guitar-rock drama without falling prey to that dread declaration of stagnation, the back-to-basics album. Perhaps deceptively, Suede's approach here is forward-thinking."[15] Concluding the review for AllMusic, editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the band's performance; "The last time Suede sounded this muscular and urgent they were still in the process of discovering themselves. Here, the quintet know how to deploy not just their strengths but their distinctive blend of nervy post-punk, overheated glam, and yearning poetry to make an album that sounds full, complete, and utterly alive."[8]

Year-end lists

[edit]
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
The Guardian The 50 Best Albums Of 2022
43
[18]
Louder Than War Albums of The Year 2022 – The Top 100
1
[19]
Mojo The 50 Best Albums Of 2022
6
[20]
musicOMH Top 50 Albums Of 2022
1
[21]
The Quietus Top 100 Albums Of 2022
17
[22]
Record Collector Best New Albums Of 2022
7
[23]
Uncut 75 Best Albums Of 2022
54
[24]
Under the Radar Top 100 Albums Of 2022
29
[25]

Track listing

[edit]
Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."She Still Leads Me On"
4:09
2."Personality Disorder"
4:00
3."15 Again"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
3:25
4."The Only Way I Can Love You"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
4:08
5."That Boy on the Stage"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
2:36
6."Drive Myself Home"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
4:30
7."Black Ice"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
2:45
8."Shadow Self"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
3:34
9."It's Always the Quiet Ones"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
4:12
10."What Am I Without You?"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
6:18
11."Turn Off Your Brain and Yell"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
5:54
Total length:45:30
Digital deluxe edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Still Waiting"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
2:50
13."The Sadness in You, the Sadness in Me"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
4:28
14."Days Like Dead Moths"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
3:42
15."The Prey"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
3:34
Japanese CD edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."You Don't Know Me"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
3:33

Autofiction Expanded

Disc 1: Studio Album
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."She Still Leads Me On"
4:09
2."Personality Disorder"
4:00
3."15 Again"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
3:25
4."The Only Way I Can Love You"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
4:08
5."That Boy on the Stage"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
2:36
6."Drive Myself Home"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
4:30
7."Black Ice"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
2:45
8."Shadow Self"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
3:34
9."It's Always the Quiet Ones"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
4:12
10."What Am I Without You?"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
6:18
11."Turn Off Your Brain and Yell"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
5:54
Total length:45:30
Disc 2: Extras
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Sadness In You, The Sadness In Me"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
4:31
2."Days Like Dead Moths"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
3:42
3."The Prey"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
3:34
4."You Don't Know Me"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
3:33
5."There Is No Me If There Is No You"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
3:08
6."Still Waiting"
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
2:52
Total length:21:26
Disc 3: Live
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."She Still Leads Me On" (De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea, 25/3/23)
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
4:31
2."Personality Disorder" (O2 Academy, Leeds, 30/3/23)
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
3:59
3."15 Again" (O2 Academy, Leeds, 30/3/23)
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
3:28
4."The Only Way I Can Love You" (O2 Academy, Leeds, 30/3/23)
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
3:55
5."That Boy on the Stage" (Rock City, Nottingham, 10/3/23)
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
2:36
6."Drive Myself Home" (The Forum, Bath, 3/3/23)
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
4:15
7."Black Ice" (O2 Guildhall, Southampton, 24/3/23)
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
3:23
8."Shadow Self" (O2 Academy, Leeds, 30/3/23)
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
3:37
9."It's Always the Quiet Ones" (Albert Hall, Manchester, 9/3/23)
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
  • Codling
4:18
10."What Am I Without You?" (Rock City, Nottingham, 10/3/23)
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
6:14
11."Turn Off Your Brain and Yell" (De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea, 25/3/23)
  • Anderson
  • Oakes
6:07
Total length:46:27

Personnel

[edit]

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Autofiction
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[26] 36
Australian Physical Albums (ARIA)[26] 42
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[27] 34
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[28] 15
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[29] 15
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[30] 15
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[31] 11
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[32] 23
French Albums (SNEP)[33] 108
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[34] 20
Irish Albums (OCC)[35] 26
Italian Albums (FIMI)[36] 88
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[37] 29
Scottish Albums (OCC)[38] 3
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[39] 20
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[40] 41
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[41] 49
UK Albums (OCC)[42] 2
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[43] 1

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Trendell, Andrew (21 September 2022). "Suede: "I'd love to think our most daring work is ahead of us"". Retrieved 22 September 2022. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  2. ^ a b Meagher, John (17 September 2022). "Suede frontman Brett Anderson: 'Writing about my parents and the death of my mum dredged up some feelings that have fed into this album'". Retrieved 24 September 2022. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  3. ^ Clarke, Patrick (24 May 2022). "Suede perform new single 'She Still Leads Me On' and talk "raw, angry, nasty" new album". NME. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b Jones, Alan (23 September 2022). "Charts analysis: Blackpink become second Korean act to score UK No.1 album". Music Week. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Suede / Autofiction: Expanded – SuperDeluxeEdition". 8 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Suede: Autofiction". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Autofiction by Suede Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  8. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (16 September 2022). "Suede – Autofiction Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  9. ^ a b Savignano, Bella (16 September 2022). "Suede – Autofiction | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  10. ^ Hall, James (16 September 2022). "Suede: Autofiction". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  11. ^ a b Mongredien, Phil (18 September 2022). "Suede: Autofiction review – a back-to-basics triumph". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  12. ^ a b Segal, Victoria (October 2022). "Dread Music". Mojo. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  13. ^ a b Trendell, Andrew (14 September 2022). "Suede – 'Autofiction' review: indie icons reborn as "raw" and "nasty" punk rockers". NME. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  14. ^ Rushbury, Ian (19 October 2022). "Suede Go Back To Basics With 'Autofiction'". PopMatters. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  15. ^ a b Harley, Kevin (9 September 2022). "Autofiction | Suede". Record Collector. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  16. ^ Hodgkinson, Will (15 September 2022). "Suede: Autofiction". The Times. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  17. ^ Hasted, Nick (October 2022). "Suede: Autofiction". Uncut. No. 305. p. 34.
  18. ^ Snapes, Laura (23 December 2022). "The 50 best albums of 2022". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Albums of The Year 2022 – The Top 100". Louder Than War. 2 December 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  20. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2022". Mojo. 22 December 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  21. ^ Hubbard, Michael (21 December 2022). "Top 50 Albums Of 2022". musicOMH. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  22. ^ Abrams, Amah-Rose (31 December 2022). "Top 100 Albums Of 2022". The Quietus. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  23. ^ "Best New Albums Of 2022". Record Collector. No. 539. December 2022.
  24. ^ "75 Best Albums Of 2022". Uncut. No. 308. January 2023.
  25. ^ Moayeri, Lily (23 December 2022). "Top 100 Albums Of 2022". Under the Radar. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  26. ^ a b "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 26 September 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1699. Australian Recording Industry Association. 26 September 2022. pp. 7, 10.
  27. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Suede – Autofiction" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  28. ^ "Ultratop.be – Suede – Autofiction" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  29. ^ "Ultratop.be – Suede – Autofiction" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  30. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Suede – Autofiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  31. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Suede – Autofiction" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  32. ^ "Suede: Autofiction" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  33. ^ "Lescharts.com – Suede – Autofiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  34. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Suede – Autofiction" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  35. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  36. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Suede – Autofiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  37. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Suede – Autofiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  38. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  39. ^ "Top 100 Albums Weekly". PROMUSICAE. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  40. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Suede – Autofiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  41. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Suede – Autofiction". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  42. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  43. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
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