December 2018 – The Light Appears

51qZ1FWdiIL._AA327_QL65_ Ali Smith’s 2016 novel, Autumn, was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize and also landed her in the New York Times’ 10 Best Books of 2017. The novel moves between scenes of central character Elisabeth visiting her 101-year-old former next-door neighbor as he lies in a care home, reminiscing of their visits when she was a child and her art thesis on Pauline Boty. Set to be the first in a four-volume series, Autumn is never gripping but is always interesting as the story takes place around the time of the Brexit vote. It has a surreal and has a dreamlike quality as it moves through time and back again. The follow-up Winter was published in late 2017.

7/10

51xCkzASckL._AA327_QL65_ I’ve been a subscriber to the James Clear newsletter for about a year now. Every week he sends out advice on how to improve daily habits. This fall, Clear released his first book Atomic Habits that expands on those newsletters and offers much additional information. This is not earth-shattering advice that comes out of nowhere but instead offers tactics on how to get a little bit better every day and keep improving over time. Instead of saying, “I want to lose 20lbs” and not following through, work on following the process of making it to the gym three times this week. Fall in love with the process instead of the results and you’ll get there in the end. Lots to unpack and learn from in this book.

8.5/10

515pYTNTrcL._AA327_QL65_ In 2017, Jesmyn Ward won the National Book Award for the second time with her novel Sing, Unburied Sing. The book chronicles a family living in rural Mississippi. Meth addict Leonie and former prisoner Michael have two kids, JoJo and Kayla. The pull between the interracial parents is stronger than the love of the two kids who identify more with their aging grandparents. Chapters are dedicated to different character’s points of views and often features beautiful writing. “…like paint dissolving in water, its scales turned black… until it was the color of the space between the stars”. While the story is a sad one, there is much to like here.

7.5/10

41UGF-IRwgL._AA327_QL65_ In early 2018, Suede released the 25^th Silver Anniversary edition of their classic debut s/t album. Here it appears remastered with three additional discs of music + a DVD. At the time Suede released their debut album in early 1993, it was the fastest selling debut in UK music history. Famously appearing on the cover of Melody Maker magazine before releasing their first single, the build-up/hype through 1992 was palpable through the UK press. There are many examples through history of the music press building the hype of a mediocre band just to tear them down again. This was not the case here. A clutch of brilliant singles and a near flawless album saw Suede release great music through the mid-90s.

Led by songwriting duo Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler, Suede mixed the glamour of Bowie, the melancholy of every day life of The Smiths, and a punk-like energy. Second single “Animal Nitrate” bristles with sexual violence with Anderson shouting “what does it take to turn you on?” as the track reaches its emotional apex before the handclaps appear to add a spark. “Metal Mickey” reached #17 on the charts and was the band’s introduction to many teenagers. The glam stomp lays the groundwork from where Anderson whoops and hollers through the verses and chorus. “So Young” is a strong opening track mixing the anthemic with melancholy, featuring a piano interlude much to Butler’s chagrin but one that really adds to the track.

The melodrama is ratcheted up on “Sleeping Pills” inspired by housewives abusing valium with Anderson pleading, “don’t take those sleeping pills, it’s only time they kill”. “Pantomime Horse” and “The Next Life” both feature Anderson’s dramatic vocal phrasing. “Moving” and first single “The Drowners” spare no energy with the latter featuring a slowed down chorus. Where the debut falters is on lesser tracks “Breakdown” and “Animal Lover”. Those tracks aside, this is one of the best UK indie rock debuts ever and helped usher in the Britpop movement that would dominate British music over the next few years. (9/10)

Disc two features B-sides released during this time period. “My Insatiable One” is one of the best tracks the band has ever done. A classic pop rock melody makes it one of the most enduring songs in the Suede cannon. “To The Birds” is close to classic status as well. Butler’s guitar with Simon Gilbert’s drumming cranks up the tension before Anderson sings of a possible suicide. These two tracks should have appeared on the debut. “Where the Pigs Fly”, “He’s Dead” and the lovely “High Rising” are all fine tracks before the excellent cover of The Pretenders’ “Brass In Pocket” appears to close out the disc. (8/10)

Enjoyment of disc three will depend on your love of “The Drowners” which appears three different times through the twenty tracks. Featuring demos, monitor mixes and a BBC appearance; disc three is a bit of a mixed bag. The songs are excellent but the versions are mostly similar versions to what appeared on official releases but with cheaper recording equipment. The Mark Goodier BBC 1 sessions featured on this set catch the young band performing several tracks that would appear on the debut a year later. (7/10)

Disc four is a 1992 live concert from Sheffield’s historic venue, The Leadmill. The audio is mostly terrible but energetic and amusingly captures snippets of the audience chatting. Unless you were there, not much reason to listen to this more than once. (5/10) Along with TV appearances, the DVD features an hour-long interview with Anderson/Butler that offers insight into the recording of the tracks including B-sides. Much contradictions of Anderson appears as Butler seems to have the better memory but great moments abound and it’s terrific seeing the two together, looking healthy and happy after hard living through the 90s. (7/10)

After reading about this boxset, I originally put my money down on the 2CD + 1DVD set that was released in 2011. Unfortunately, that set arrived with a cracked case so had to be shipped back. The music therein was amazing so I instead ordered this version when my refund appeared. The 2011 version should be fine for most, especially at half the price, but if you have the money and are a fan of this era of Suede, this set is worth the extra expense.

Box Set – 8/10