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Brett Anderson: Slow Attack review

Label
BA Songs
Release date
2nd November 2009
Genre
Pop
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Britpop A-lister takes the road less travelled

Once the pouting, arse-slapping singer of Britpop glam pioneers Suede, Brett Anderson has in recent years been retreating into a still, solemn music that hovers on the verge of silence.

Like last year’s largely ignored album Wilderness, Slow Attack is a collection of pastoral, primarily acoustic songs that eschew flamboyance in favour of a serene, contemplative calm.

Former party animal Anderson is long sober now, and maudlin, melancholic songs with titles such as Wheatfields, Frozen Roads and Summer reflect his newfound introspective focus on nature and the passing of time.

Tracks are sparse and stripped down, with only the occasional vocal yodel evoking his previous, extravagant existence. Slow Attack is unlikely to please pop tarts nostalgic for the showy thrills of Metal Mickey or Animal Nitrate, but it does capture an artist pursuing his muse with a dogged purity and integrity.

More to try:
Mark Hollis: Mark Hollis
David Sylvian: Blemish
Red House Painters: Ocean Beach

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02-11-2009