I'm not sure the world has been waiting for my take on "The Blue Hour" by Suede. You are about to get it though. Suede is one of those bands that I never get burnt out on. One of the genius things that I admired about Brett Anderson's solo stuff was that it didn't really sound like Suede. "Night Thoughts" and now "The Blue Hour" sound more like Brett solo albums which might seem strange. Both are concept albums without obvious standalone singles though "Night Thoughts" is a bit hookier.
The press releases seem to imply that Neil Codling and Richard Oakes are trying to help the band reach the grandiose heights of "Dog Man Star". No matter how long Neil grows his hair, he's no Bernard Butler. The old Richard Oakes looks like Dan Auerbach!! The core trio of Simon, Brett and Mat have maintained respectable hair and waistline. Bret, in particular, looks younger than 10 years ago.
I'm glad I waited to receive my Japanese import of the CD before weighing in. The production and use of choir are stunning. It's a great night album or pre-dawn in the car experience. Hoping for another "Blood Sports" next time. More standalone songs. Brett continues to break new lyrical ground. Since he's too polite to say it "Fuck Damon Albarn". Suede is the greatest Brit POP band by miles.