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54 of 63 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Keeping Us Going, April 30, 2009
When a band has been around for close to thirty years and is still making music, it probably means one of three things: 1) they're trying to recreate the past, or 2) they're trying to do something very different, or 3) they're recombining elements of their catalogue to make something kind of new and kind of familiar. Sounds of the Universe falls into that last category.
The latest Depeche Mode album features thirteen tracks, all of them using early-eighties synthesizers with no apologies. At times, these tracks sound like they could have been made in 1984, using the melodic sophistication of Some Great Reward and the sonic textures of A Broken Frame. Sounds of the Universe bleeps and thumps and hisses with a seemingly primitive array of manufactured noises in a way that only deep fans of, say, Orbital, Autechre, Kraftwerk, or early Nine Inch Nails can really appreciate.
But to dismiss this album because of its Atari arcade sound effects would be a mistake. For one thing, Sounds is not strictly a throwback in the sense that many of the songs use an actual guitar to great effect, which would have been unthinkable to the band in its earliest years. "Wrong," for example, owes as much to the twang of "Personal Jesus" as it does to the robotic drone of early Depeche Mode dirges such as "Photographic." The same applies to "Fragile Tension" and "Come Back," and even "The Truth Is/Miles Away" and "Perfect" use guitar strategically to great effect, something that never would have happened before Music for the Masses at the earliest.
But even the songs which rely completely on a synthetic sound don't suffer as a consequence. "Little Soul" and "Jezebel" may not be for everyone, with their Exciter-era tempos and "mature" feel (which some would argue is the death knell for any band)--yet they work well for anyone who has enjoyed the quieter moments of past albums. If you're looking for a faster track, "In Sympathy" is probably the best on the album, with its sunny intro and a bridge that delves into a melancholy club-thump, and "In Chains" continues a long tradition of kinky songs with single potential while still remaining true to the album's subtexts of justice and fairness.
Admittedly there are some questionable decisions in the making of Sounds of the Universe, such as predictable rhymes and the campiness of Dave briefly dipping into an Elvis Presley impression as he croons "The Truth Is/Miles Away." And "Peace" is a little embarrassing in its sincerity. But when in the band's career have Dave and Martin sounded so good as vocalists?
Part of me wishes for the return of rock opera masterpieces such as "Enjoy the Silence," and any legitimate DM fan will probably agree that Violator was either the band's best album or a serious contender for the title. However, that is not going to happen, because that sound is inextricably tied to departed band member Alan Wilder and Flood, Violator's producer. As a trio, Depeche Mode are still making very good, if not great, music--and if you can square yourself with that reality, you may find yourself listening to this "grower" of an album for quite some time.
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27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
They aren't 20 anymore., May 6, 2009
Depeche Mode is a survivor and has kept creating full studio albums long after many of their peer bands dissolved. This album and the last (Playing the Angel) are a continuation of the journey and reflects the entry into middle-age. Those people looking for songs like "Lie to Me" and other very sexually charged songs need to go back and listen to DM's earlier work when these men were much younger and compelled to write those kinds of songs. Sounds of the Universe has a lot of steady patterns with the feeling of deep movement (example: "Come Back") and going somewhere with the patience (and weariness) of age. Its a bold stare into the void which can develop (much akin to outer space) when one looks at the other side of the life cycle. To do it right you can't have the young more energetic and poppy DM without the darker, slower, more mature DM, it gives the band/project a life of its own and more purpose and meaning. I personally thank DM for continuing to make work and offer up such great songs for the enjoyment of us all.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
No spark, June 9, 2009
No spark. That's what I felt while listening to the new Depeche Mode album for the first time. Frankly, I was about to stop the player, but I know that with DM you need to listen more than once. So that's what I did. Although not a complete disaster, I think that this is the weakest DM album to date.
The album begins with a mellow tune which sets the pace for the rest of the songs. "In Chains" begins with a distorted synths intro and then Dave Gahan's vocals pour in with the same higher pitch that he's been using in the last few albums; a decent start. "Hole to feed" goes without notice and then comes the only diamond in the rough in this album. "Wrong" sounds very strange at first listening, and is definitely not a catchy radio tune like last album's "Precious". However, after listening a few times you get the song; it is a powerful and epic anthem that will probably be a big hit in live shows.
Unfortunately this is where the story ends. After only 3 songs the albums fades away. The following songs are mellow, weak, sound quite the same, and worst thing: they sound like DM didn't really care about creating a unique album. "Come Back", "Perfect" and "Miles Away / The Truth Is" are the best songs from the album, but frankly, I don't think that DM would have included such weak songs in previous albums.
The feeling is that DM created this album as an excuse for their live tour, which I'm sure will be good (like all of their tours). The album, however, will be forgotten in the universe.
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