Suede

Few bands in the '90s Brit-pop scene carried as much melodramatic weight as Suede. Singles, despite its generic moniker, does an excellent job illuminating the fact that Bernard Butler and Brett Anderson were far more David Bowie and Mick Ronson than the oft-cited Morrissey/Johnny Marr press quips would have you believe. The group's penchant for neo-glam excess and apocalyptic grandstanding inundated their entire time line, from 1992's "Animal Nitrate" and "Metal Mickey" all the way through to 2002's New Morning, despite the switching out of Butler for the flashier Richard Oakes. While the group's 1993 debut and 1994 follow-up Dog Man Star remain required listening for anyone with even a passing interest in the scene, this collection, paired with 1997's Sci-Fi Lullabies, presents a near perfect picture of one of the late-'90s most underrated acts. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide