Night Thoughts
Suede
(Suede Ltd)
Four stars
When Suede released their self-titled debut album in 1993, Brett Anderson, the band’s supremely talented frontman, and Bernard Butler, the lead guitarist, were hailed as creative powerhouses who would surely go on to define a generation of British music with their brand of brittle-but-intense alternative rock.
That idea would ultimately prove to be a false prophecy, as Suede found themselves overrun by the altogether more laddish Britpop eruption led by Oasis. Worse was to follow: Butler walked out in 1994, Suede’s early promise withered on the vine, and the band split in 2003.
Now they are back – albeit still without Butler – with a second album of new material in three years.
Night Thoughts – which follows well-received 2013 release Bloodsports – stays true to the classic Suede sound, marrying expansive and intricate guitar work with Anderson's evocative and exquisite lyrical vignettes, which grub around somewhere between glam and the gutter.
Twenty years ago, Anderson was singing about alienation, fast living and the thrill of the chase. Somehow, the 21st-century Anderson, ably supported on songwriting duties by Neil Codling and Richard Oakes, manages to stay close to many of those same themes without seeming like a man living an existence at odds with his years.
His world is still one of fragile beauty, his life still seemingly in the balance – it is no surprise to find Night Thoughts littered with song titles such as Outsiders, No Tomorrow, Tightrope and I Can't Give Her What She Wants – even as he wrestles with his transformation from party-loving poet to happily married family man.
The aching for that previous life – or perhaps the concern about what is to come – is still front and centre.
On When You Are Young, Anderson talks of "battle plans and distant drums" and of there being "nothing right and nothing wrong" – but this nostalgia is wedded to a sense of understanding that the bravado of youth often gives way to a more stinging sense of self-awareness in middle age.
"I don't know the meaning of much, I don't know the right expressions, I don't have too much intuition or too many credentials", he laments on What I'm Trying to Tell You.
There is an inherent danger in comebacks, particularly after a long absence, something that Anderson has acknowledged in recent interviews. Too many bands return with an approximation of their previous sound without any sense that the world might have moved on in their absence.
Night Thoughts treads a more delicate path, offering enough to existing fans to keep them satisfied, while presenting a set of dark but enchanting songs that point to a new era of adoration for Suede.
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
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4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Habah, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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