Though they never quite made a huge impact here, they did have a brief moment.
Conventional Wisdom always wanted to paint singer Bret Anderson and guitarist Bernard Butler as a next generation Morrissey and Marr.
That reputation probably doesn’t do them a lot of favors.
Almost immediately after the release of their second album 1994s Dog Man Star, Butler left the band. Although I do think Dog Man Star is the best moment, they continued to make great music when Richard Oakes took the job of lead guitarist. Oakes gets pushed out of the limelight when Butler is mentioned, but he has had some great moments. Coming Up and Headmusic are pretty strong in terms of a band’s third and fourth records.
But equally, Butler made two solo albums - 1998s People Move On and 1999s Friends and Lovers that are fantastic. They did do well in the UK, but would make great “hidden” albums if you missed out on them.
Not glam like Suede, but 70s style rock with influence from blues and Psychedelica a la Spooky Tooth or the Small Faces.
Butler had had an interesting post Suede career. He teamed up with soul singer David McAlmont which had a Top 10 UK single, joined (at least for a couple of days) the Verve, and became a producer with a solid resume.
With Welsh singer, Duffy, he enjoyed Worldwide Success. But he also produced Aimee Mann, the Veils, Sons and Daughters, Black Kids and many more. He also produced the first Libertines single.
It took until 2024 for a third solo album, but before that he made collaboration records with Suede mate Anderson (2005s Here Comes the Tears), Catherine Anne Davies who releases music as the Anchoress (2020s In Memory of My Feelings) and actress/singer Jessie Buckley (2022s For All Our Days that Tear the Heart)
I am likely leaving stuff out, but let’s get to the present.
In 2022, Butler, Norman Blake and James Grant performed together at the Celtic Connections Festival. It was so well received that in 2025, we now have a Butler, Blake and Grant album.
It’s an impressive resume. Blake has fronted the great Scottish band Teenage Fanclub as well being in BMX Bandits. I am not as familiar with Grant who led 80s band Love and Money. I know that particular band as it was one that was loved by my peers as I was a teenager discovering British new wave bands. I also immediately think of them as contemporaries with the similarly named Love and Rockets. They even scored a hit on the US Hot 100 with 1988s Hallelujah Man
The album isn’t a 80s/90s indie rock affair despite a nice track dedicated to the latter decade. It reminds me a bit of an updated Crosby, Stills and Nash (the Uncut review leads off with this comparison but it’s hard not to think of), and it also feels in line with Butler’s work, which seems to be the dominating force.
Even then, while Butler contributes some great songs, Blake perhaps contributes the best in “One in One is Two”. Butler’s “The 90s” and “The Old Mortality” are top tracks, but “One and One…” sounds like a lost CS&N or Byrds classic.
While I would much prefer a harder rock sound, I hope this album gets to an audience who appreciates it, as it is a great example of this type of melodic, acoustic guitar pop.
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