To say that Brett Anderson of the London Suede is happy with his band's new album, "Dog Man Star," would be understating it a bit.
"It's a huge evolution," he says, over the phone from New York. "I think it's a vast improvement. The songs are better, more profound. There's more going on and more diversity. It's just much lusher and bigger and better and longer and brillianter."
Brillianter?
"I'm really happy with it," he says, undaunted.
"We all are," agrees drummer Simon Gilbert.
Considering the controversy that swirled around the band as it was making the album, such enthusiasm verges on the miraculous. After being named "The Best New Band in Britain" even before its debut was released, the London Suede quickly fell victim to the build-'em-up-then-knock-'em-down mentality of the English music press. Compounding matters was the departure of guitarist -- and Anderson's writing partner -- Bernard Butler.
Still, Anderson and Gilbert seem surprisingly sanguine about the whole affair. It helps that they're taken with Butler's replacement, guitarist Richard Oakes.
"He's an unknown, but he's very, very wonderful," says Gilbert, with Anderson adding, "He can play like the devil. We're very excited about playing with him."
As for Butler, neither band member was surprised or much saddened by his departure.
"We'd been growing apart, really, for quite a long time, the two parties being him and the rest of the band," says Anderson. "It had come to an end, really. He wasn't happy being in the band, we weren't happy with him being in the band."
"So he decided to leave," says Gilbert.
Given that the richly orchestrated "Dog Man Star" is nowhere near as guitar-heavy as its predecessor, some industry gossips suggested that Butler's departure was hastened by having less to do this time around.
Anderson pooh-poohs that theory. "No, not really," he says. "The reason it sounds like that is because he left halfway through. He didn't finish the album by any stretch of the imagination.
"It was left to us, and we thought the songs should go like that. We thought the songs should be orchestrated and should broaden out. Music isn't just about guitar, bass and drums. We've always thought it was important to have those central elements to it, but you should broaden your horizons when you're given the opportunity."
Besides, Anderson says, this new approach gives the band greater potential for cracking the pop mainstream.
"I don't think there was anything on the first album that could have crossed over," he says. "Those songs were all just alternative stuff. But new songs like 'The Wild Ones,' 'The Power' and stuff like that, they're real crossover songs, potentially."
"Yeah, definitely," adds Gilbert. "Even my gran likes this one."
And if Gilbert's grandmother was won over this time around, can America be far behind?
Suede's 'Star'
To hear excerpts from The London Suede's "Dog Man Star," call Sundial, The Sun's telephone information service, at (410) 783-1800. In Anne Arundel County, call 268-7736; in Harford County, 836-5028; in Carroll County, 848-0338. Using a touch-tone phone, punch in the four-digit code 6151 after you hear the greeting.
The London Suede
When: Tonight, 8 p.m.
Where: Radio Music Hall, Washington
Tickets: $15
Call: (202) 638-2008 for information, (410) 481-7328 for tickets