2005's Playing the Angel proved to be one of Depeche Mode's strongest albums -- the combination of Ben Hillier's production, the emergence of David Gahan as a songwriter following his initial solo effort and a clutch of striking songs that openly embraced arena-level bombast following the much more subtle Exciter resulted in wide praise and a well-received tour. As a result -- especially given the return of Hillier, the first producer to work on two Depeche albums in a row since Flood's heyday with Violator and Songs of Faith and Devotion -- Sounds of the Universe was initially suspected of being Playing the Angel redux, something the swaggering lead single "Wrong" didn't undercut at all. After all these years, though, Depeche can still pull out surprises, and what's quite astonishing about Sounds is how they've returned to the equipment and textures of their early-'80s work in particular while reworking it to match both Gahan and Martin Gore's current lyrical and songwriting techniques. On balance, Sounds is one of Depeche's lower-key albums, but not without explosive or dramatic moments by any means, though. "Come Back," one of Gahan's three songwriting contributions, captures a sudden sense of vast space right from its start, the deep-chugging percussion and reverberation perfectly contrasting the soft chimes on the verses, while "Peace," with an opening bassline straight out of the days of the band's pop-industrial phase, and a stellar vocal turn from Gahan, is an absolute high point. But "In Chains," the slow-building start to the disc, sets the tone best for Sounds as a whole, with a hushed keyboard introduction, Gahan's swoon-worthy vocals (showcasing some of his best falsetto work yet), Gore's compressed funk guitar blasts and, above all else, the sense of older styles and sounds -- classic drum machines, early synthesizers, a rumbling bass undercarriage -- serving new purposes. More overt nods to earlier days appear with songs such as "Fragile Tension" and "In Sympathy," both featuring keyboards and beats sounding beamed in from A Broken Frame days but also with beautiful vocals that the younger Gahan could never have so easily done and guitar textures that the younger Gore had yet to fully embrace. "Perfect," meanwhile, almost reaches back to Speak & Spell thanks to an opening keyboard line that immediately calls the song "Puppets" to mind, but again it's more of a launching point for the current band's sound rather than a simple exercise in retrospection. Gore's sole lead vocal appears towards the end of the album on the enjoyable if understated "Jezebel," but his uncanny knack for harmonizing with Gahan throughout remains intact, with stand-out performances including the understated clatter and chime of "Little Soul" and his bravura turn toward the end of "Wrong." On the whole, Sounds of the Universe is a grower, relying on a few listens to fully take effect, but when it does, it shows Depeche Mode are still able to combine pop-hook accessibility and their own take on "roots" music for an electronic age with sonic experimentation and recombination -- not bad for a band with almost three decades under its collective belt.
*photo from MetromixMuch to our delight the DEPECHE MODE team hooked us up with tickets to their first show at NYC's Madison Square Garden. After twenty seven years in the business these groundbreaking artists still have it, putting on a superb show and selling out multiple nights at the Garden. It was packed. The energy these guys still have is amazing! Dave Gahan twirled around the stage gyr...
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You may win a trip to Fort Lauderdale, FL and see Depeche Mode in concert! MUSIC NEWS - Our friends at I HEART RADIO have reminded us about their cool DEPECHE MODE contest. DM is touring to support the release of their new SOUNDS OF THE UNIVERSE album. Enter for a chance to win a trip to Fort Lauderdale and see Depeche Mode in concert! The Grand Prize package consists of a trip for two (2...
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With their 12th LP, Depeche Mode do the obvious thing and write a Depeche Mode album.
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You dream to see a band live for decades (OK, just one decade). Finally, you get the chance to do so. You go through Ticketmaster hell experience to buy the rather expensive ticket, book your train ticket, and your hotel room. And then, 2 days before the show..." Depeche Mode - 30 May, O2 arena postponedDue to recovery time needed for lead singer Dave Gahan's treatment of a bladder tumour, Depe...
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*photo from MetromixMuch to our delight the DEPECHE MODE team hooked us up with tickets to their first show at NYC's Madison Square Garden. After twenty seven years in the business these groundbreaking artists still have it, putting on a superb show and selling out multiple nights at the Garden. It was packed. The energy these guys still have is amazing! Dave Gahan twirled around the stage gyr...
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Here is another track from the album "Sounds of the Universe".
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"Miles Away/The Truth Is" is taken from the forthcoming album "Sounds of the Universe".
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Here is another track from the brand new "Sounds of the Universe" album!enjoy:-) Fletcher-Gahan-Gore
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With their 12th LP, Depeche Mode do the obvious thing and write a Depeche Mode album.
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An epic slowburner from the upcoming Depeche Mode album, Sounds of the Universe. I like this a lot more than “Wrong”.
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Wrong is up for sale starting today over at iTunes. So happy to have the track this early out. Sounds Of The Universe is due April 21st. We seriously can't get enough of the song. It really is a return to classic Mode. The physical single is due April 6th in the UK and April 7th here in the U.S.Take your pick or collect all three;Wrong 7':WrongOh WellWrong CD1:Wrong Oh Well (Black Light O
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Depeche Mode Personally and professionally, synth-pop survivors Depeche Mode are on sturdier footing than ever as they near their 30th anniversary, as well as the April 21 release of their new album, "Sounds of the Universe.""Sometimes you have to pinch yourself, because we've had our rough moments in the past," keyboardist Andy Fletcher tells Billboard. "It's nice to be at this stage of our c...
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Join us April 23 for Atmosphere, our Monthly DJ event in Downtown Detroit.This is a unique event, not to be confused with generic club nights around town.Proof is a laid-back Martini lounge with a beautiful view of Downtown Detroit. Enjoy delicious drinks, the friendly waitstaff, the conversation of good friends and most importantly, the music you hold near and dear to your heart; The Cure, Ne...
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I can't remember a time when I wasn't listening to Depeche Mode . This is a band I grew up with. Well they're back with a new album. Their previous effort, Playing The Angel , definitely had some good tunes on it so I'm excited to see where they go from there. The new album is titled Sounds Of The Universe and is slated for an April 21st release date via EMI. There will be a world tour to ...
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Finally!Depeche Mode premiered their new single Wrong at the Echo Awards in Berlin, Germany this evening. What can we say? The song is even better than expected. A nice dark track full of raw energy that takes the band back to their roots. Of all of their newer material in the last few years, Wrong fits in best with the classic Depeche Mode we all know and love. This gets us even more exc...
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Depeche Mode's Corrupt is featured in the new season finale teaser for the current season (two) of True Blood. Footage of the band in the studio has been intertwined with a teaser featuring the fantastic cast of the show. The studio footage may look familiar to fans, as it was taken from the "studio sessions" featured in the Sounds Of The Universe box set. The whole thing works very, very w.
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Dave Gahan drinks down a bit of honey (straight from the bottle) as he works through vocals for the track Corrupt. It's sounding like another great track from the upcoming Sounds Of The Universe.
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Depeche Mode have premiered the music video for 'Wrong '. The video was directed by Patric Daughters and the track is off the bands forthcoming album, 'Sounds Of The Universe '.'Sounds Of The Universe ' is due out April 21 (U.S.). 'Wrong '
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 In Chains |
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| 2 Hole to Feed |
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| 3 Wrong |
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| 4 Fragile Tension |
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| 5 Little Soul |
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| 6 In Sympathy |
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| 7 Peace |
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| 8 Come Back |
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| 9 Spacewalker |
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| 10 Perfect |
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| 11 Miles Away/The Truth Is |
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| 12 Jezebel |
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| 13 Corrupt |
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Click to purchase…
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 "Sounds of the Universe")
