Suede

"The band, especially guitarist Bernard Butler, imbue the songs with a sense of drama and excitement that matches Anderson's gymnastically rakish vocals and louche lyrics to a tee. When they aren't strutting through songs like the eternally cheeky "The Drowners" or the romping "Animal Lover" as if they were winding up to give the dour music landscape a swift arse-kicking, the band delved into much more dour, somewhat gloomy territory where Anderson's bitterly sad swooning is perfectly mirrored by the glimmering tones Butler exudes like shiny tears. Check "She's Not Dead" for a good example. In between these two extremes are songs that split the difference and come across like glitter-prog gems. "So Young," for example, takes the moody melodrama of the Smiths, the slithering guitar lines of the Stone Roses, and the kitchen-sink epic nature of Pulp, then melts it all together into something bold and shiny. Credit to Anderson for a daring performance here, and throughout the album, that feels like he's not only walking a tightrope but doing it backwards with eyes closed. Even more love for Butler's guitar playing. Not only can he dole out chunky power chords like Marc Bolan, uncork whopping riffs like Mick Ronson, and drift mystically like John Squire, but he constantly explores his array of pedals and comes up with a wide range of sounds that never fail to surprise and amaze. It's a huge part of the album's magic that every song exhibits a different tone or new effect, from the paint-peeling fuzz on "Animal Nitrate," the swirling phase on "The Drowners" and the Byrds-y jangle of "Animal Lover" to the echoing sweep heard throughout "Moving.""

 - Allmusic