Often hailed for their pivotal role in laying the groundwork for the Britpop era, Suede were o much more than a mere warm-up act for Blur, Oasis, Pulp and a generation of English guitar bands who followed in their slipstream.
Swaggering into a moribund British 'alternative' scene then cowed firmly in the shadow of US grunge, Suede looked, talked and sounded like an important, game-changing band from the moment their striking debut single, The Drowners, dropped in May 1992. The following year, with a self-titled debut album which frontman Brett Anderson grandly declared to be about "sex and depression in equal measure", they drew upon classic British glam (specifically David Bowie), indie (chiefly The Smiths), and post-punk to make the most arresting British rock album since The Stone Roses, with Anderson's whimsical androgyny colliding with Bernard Butler's fiery guitar heroics.
The UK's 'inkie' music papers quickly declared Suede 'The Best New Band In Britain'. More than three decades on, fans would argue that the quintet are simply Britain's Best Band. For while so many of their '90s peers have faded, disappeared or lapsed into pure nostalgia, Suede have survived, and indeed thrived, continuing to make music that matters, as emphatically proved by their most recent album, Antidepressants.
