Depeche Mode - A Broken Frame (1982)

Who would have thought that a band that had just lost its songwriter, key instrumentalist, and leader would have been able to continue without so much as an electronic blip? Most of the press thought that Depeche Mode were a dead duck without the influence of mentor in Chief Vince Clarke, who bizarrely decided to quit following the success of 1981's "Speak And Spell" and form a duet with Soul singer Alison Moyet in the short lived but highly regarded Yazoo. So the 3 remaining troops picked up their Moogs and bravely began work on what would become "A Broken Frame". Martin Gore took up songwriting duties and the first signs were good. The first single from the album, "See You", charted higher than any release from "Speak And Spell". Gore would say to Journalists a few years later, "I Stopped worrying about our future when "See You" became a success".

"A Broken Frame" certainly shows more ambition than its Electro/Pop predecessor, and although there are still genuine Pop songs, there is also a leaning toward more experimental, expressive and certainly darker songs, which would undoubtedly shape much of the Depeche Mode sound for the remainder of the decade. "Satellite" and "Monument" for example carry dark Synth reflections and tortuous rhythms and on reflection, although not great, at least offer a contrast to the bright sparkling Pop tendencies on other tracks. The highlights are indeed the Pop songs, particularly "See You" which has a nicely developed intro, "My Secret Garden" and " A Photograph Of You". The real standout is the opener though. "Leave In Silence" shows Gore's early songwriting and arranging skills perfectly and for this Reviewer, is one of the most under-rated songs the band have ever performed.

"A Broken Frame" is a really strong return from a band that most people thought were yesterday's men. They proved most wrong, and this album, although not their best, sets a rudimentary agenda.

7/10

"Leave In Silence"

"See You"