Depeche Mode, Sounds Of The Universe

Around the time of Exciter I read an article about how much happier and healthier Gahan was now. I honestly felt guilty. I felt like I was telling him, “I liked you better when you were miserable.” The article referred to the “Darth Vader” persona of his earlier songs—dark, sensual and tormented. I missed that. Darth Gahan had been sexy.

So I’m sure you’ll understand why I greeted the news of Sounds Of The Universe with wariness. I first heard the first single, “Wrong” on YouTube, and found the video itself disturbing—but again, that’s another article. I liked the song more than I had any Mode single for a while, but it had that “Only good song on the album” stench about it. Still, I was willing to give it a shot.

And I’m thrilled.

The album opens with radio-frequency noises that invoke the celestial music of the title. From there, we’re taken through familiar Depeche Mode territory—Byronic temptresses (“Chained”), relationships on the rocks (“Miles Away”), and yes, hello, Darth Gahan (“Wrong”, “Corrupt”). “In Sympathy”, among others, follows the band’s tradition of songs about people in unique positions faced with morally complex decisions. “Peace” switches between solid philosophy and a kind of televangelist irony that we’ve seen from them before. Other cuts, such as “Another Hole to Feed,” are more earnest nods to Gahan’s newfound serenity. I’m reminded of older tracks—”Get Right With Me,” “The Things You Said,” “Little 15″—without feeling like they’ve been copied.

Simply put, the songs have more energy to them, more power and direction than we’ve seen from Depeche Mode in a while. At the same time, there’s a good mix of edgy rock, dance rock tunes and slow, prettified songs. There’s also a structural cohesiveness to the songs, a musical and lyrical coherency that’s been lacking in the past few efforts. While I love electronic music, the Mode’s best instrument is still Dave Gahan’s voice. On Sounds Of The Universe, he opens the throttle, once again making full use of both volume and range, from the angelic, high background vocals of “Wrong” to the leonine purr of “Corrupt.”

A lot of Depeche Mode fans feel like the band hasn’t been the same since Alan Wilder left. I am embarrassed to admit that I wasn’t even aware of that turn of events, or that school of thought, until recently. I suspect that the decline may have something to do with their record label, as the band switched last year from Warner Bros. to EMI. Yes, they did some of the work that everyone loves at Warner—but perhaps the climate there had shifted in a way that wasn’t right for them, or perhaps a change of scene was all they needed.

Is every song on Sounds Of The Universe a gem? No. Is every song radio-worthy? No . . . but to its credit, it is a true album, a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Based solely on YouTube comments, there is going to be some division among the fan base about this album. I say, however, that if it’s not a complete return to form, then it’s several huge strides back in the right direction.

Depeche Mode are currently touring for Sounds Of The Universe. Some dates have been rescheduled due to David Gahan’s recent health issues. The tour will recommence June 8 in Leipzig, Germany. Please check the band’s Official Site for more details and tour dates.

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