In Brief

The London Suede, “dog man star,” (**) Columbia. If Nirvana’s version of “The Man Who Sold the World” made you want to know more about early David Bowie, this English band’s second album will clue you in to the lush sound and decadent aura just fine. But if you want the invention and emotion, stick with the real thing. Suede’s 1993 debut held promise, but this one looks backward instead of forward.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).