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20
Jun

Depeche Mode – “Sounds of the Universe”

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A little sonic experimentation leads to an 80’s style sound that is right at home in 2009.

By Jason Hettinger

Hot off the heels of 2005’s “Playing the Angel” – unquestionably their best album since 1990’s “Violator” – Depeche Mode enjoyed one of their most successful tours in the band’s three-decade history. However, it is very difficult for a band that has been around as long as Depeche Mode (specializing in what many feel is the outdated music genre of electro-pop) to not become complete caricatures of themselves. So when it came time to get back in the studio for a new album, Depeche Mode decided to bring back all the elements that made “Playing the Angel” so wildly successful and popular, and combine the attributes that made them famous almost 30 years ago. The result is an album that is far better than an “80s dance-rock” band should be making on its twelfth attempt.

On their new album “Sounds of the Universe,” Depeche Mode impressively returns to the sounds and textures of its early 80s work, while simultaneously reworking the older sounds to fit the band’s current, more mature, songwriting/singing techniques. There is plenty of sonic experimentation, attempts to conjure up the “Sounds of the Universe” image that the album derives its name…and it all works very well.

Lead-singer Dave Gahan has always been one of the best vocalists (outside of Nashville anyway) when it comes to songs of pain and suffering, and he is in top form here. The central theme of “Sounds” is somewhat similar to “Playing the Angel” – many songs about heartbreak, and anguish, but the songs on “Sounds” are songs of inner struggle and contemplation, almost verging on spiritualism…almost like a kind of gospel-techno.

Tracks like “Little Soul,” “Peace,” “Fragile Tension,” and “In Sympathy” are a far cry from the expectations of Depeche Mode’s usual work. The instrumentation definitely harkens back to the early 80s, certainly reminiscent of the band’s industrial pop phase. But as the band has aged, we are now treated to a slightly kinder, gentler Depeche Mode. The angst is still there, but certainly more reserved and reigned-in. Gahan is able to pull off some really beautiful vocal work -– work that the singer would not have been able to pull off or even embrace years ago.

But not every song is spiritual or mellow. The album eerily kicks off with “In Chains,” which sets the tone for the album nicely, featuring a hushed keyboard introduction, some funky out-of-character guitar blasts, and some of Gahan’s most croon-worthy falsetto work of his career. The lead-single, “Wrong,” is very much angry and confrontational, fully expressing an excessive amount of self-frustration. The final track on “Sounds” is a hollow, almost downright evilly lavish groove called “Corrupt” which fully embraces the nature of emotional pain and passing it on to others as an unavoidable occurrence.

One of the things that helps keep the band fresh after all these years is the introduction of Gahan as one of the principal songwriters of the group. Since the band’s inception, guitarist Martin Gore has been the principal songwriter, occasionally taking the reigns as lead vocalist as well. “Sounds of the Universe” features three songs co-written by Gahan and a few non-Depeche Mode songwriters, and Gore lends his considerable hauntingly melodic tenor as the lead singer on the track “Jezebel,” probably the closest song to a ballad that you will hear from Depeche Mode. These experimentations pay off dividends in helping to keep the band from becoming stale, and consistently exploring new avenues to freshen their sound.

It’s crazy to think that Depeche Mode has even been able to survive since 1990. Many of the band’s electro-pop peers became extinct, possibly even exiled. But somehow, Depeche Mode has been one of the precious few to escape a similar fate, and you can certainly chalk it up to the willingness of the band to explore new sounds, and alter their older sound to match their current songwriting styles. And judging by the band’s last two albums – two of the best albums the band has produced – I believe we are in the midst of a full-fledged Depeche Mode comeback.

Jason is a 23-year-old music lover who is proud to say that he works at KDEC-FM 100.5 as an “Ad-Guy.” You can also catch Jason on-air on FM 100.5 weekend afternoons or sometimes filling in for Tim or Jeni on the Morning Show. Jason will be spending the majority of his summer happily in rehearsals for the New Minowa Players Summer Musical: “Anne of Green Gables” which will be performed at DHS in late June.

Category : Music Review