Antidepressants
Suede
Suede sound very awake on Antidepressants. The guitars are sharp, the rhythms keep pressing forward, and Brett Anderson gives the songs enough drama to make their anxious thoughts feel almost enjoyable. It is a dark record in places, but there is a clear sense of energy coming out of that darkness.
Disintegrate is an excellent opening. The beat and guitar build a tense setting, and Anderson sounds completely involved. There is no gentle invitation into the album. The band get the mood established and expect you to keep up. The title track follows with another large chorus, giving that nervous energy a clear melodic shape.
The post-punk influence suits them. Richard Oakes' guitar parts have a harder edge than the band's prettier moments, and the rhythm section keeps the songs moving without filling every available gap. Anderson's voice remains unmistakable. He can make a fairly simple line sound like a serious personal decision, which is useful on an album this concerned with anxiety and connection.
Dancing with the Europeans has more of an immediate physical pull, while Trance State brings in a colder, more electronic shade. Those changes don't break the mood. They make it feel as though the band have found several ways into the same set of concerns.
Broken Music for Broken People is one of the most direct songs here. Its central idea is hardly complicated, but the performance gives it weight. There is something convincing about hearing a band offer company without pretending to have a solution. Somewhere Between an Atom and a Star adds a slower, more expansive kind of drama, and that contrast gives the sharper songs room to hit again.
Anderson's theatrical delivery will always be a deciding factor. If that voice doesn't work for you, this album is unlikely to change your mind. For everyone else, it is a major part of the appeal.
The closing Life Is Endless, Life Is a Moment earns its grand finish. Antidepressants is a strong, focused record from a band who still sound as though making this music matters. More importantly, they make it matter to the listener too.
