Happy Halloween! Here’s an intro paragraph I wrote months ago:

Hello welcome to THE DEPECHE CHRONICLES, a title that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. This is entry number four in an ongoing series where I force myself to sit down and actually listen to the catalogue from an artist I claim to love, or one that I simply should know more about. You can click through for the first three entries: Zola Jesus | David Bowie | The Replacements. For this project, I am planning on listening to and writing about all 15 studio albums, including the ones I’m already familiar with. Why did I choose Depeche Mode? Easy – I’m seeing them on Halloween night (!) and, well, I just haven’t heard nine or so of these albums.

This was originally going to be a multi-part series but I neglected it and now I’m scrambling to get it up hours before Halloween. Shall we get started?

SPEAK & SPELL (1981)

I’ve always wondered if their debut would follow suit of “I Just Can’t Get Enough” and, well, it does! This first album seems like a massive red herring compared to the band that would follow. It’s not exactly fair to call this album “jolly” when the second track is called “I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead” but the music is far bouncier and new wave-y than what would follow. I had forgotten, quite frankly, that Vince Clarke wrote these tunes before he spun off into Erasure and let Dave Gahan get weird with it.

I mostly found this album…bewildering. There’s a lot of strange choices, like taking the dense, catchy and incredible opener “New Life” and following it up with the short, midtempo “I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead” that halts the album in its tracks immediately. Also, for a band that has spent decades being deathly serious, there’s an instrumental filler tracker called “Big Muff.” It has the exact same effect as Alice in Chains having an early track called “Fat Girls” (which is real, btw).

The bookends of this album are great – the hits “New Life” and “I Just Can’t Get Enough.” What comes in between is a handful of songs that sound pretty similar to those two hits. It’s not bad by any means, but it is repetitive. Side B starter “Photographic” is bolstered by a strong beat and some very subtle chaos. The back half of Side A – “Boys Say Go!,” “Nodisco,” and “What’s Your Name?” are all very pleasant songs as well, though they were not necessarily ones that demanded my attention.

This is a very new wave album, almost to the point of parody. I’m mostly surprised that something so fully synth-poppy existed this early in the 80’s. I wrote in my Replacements piece about bands struggling to adapt to changes, and with an album like this in ’81, it’s easy to see why so many classic rock bands couldn’t adjust. This is a moderately fun debut, but there’s a hard reset coming and I think it’s for the better – this sound is barely sustainable across one album. I’m looking forward to seeing how the band really solidifies themselves, because I know absolutely nothing about the next couple releases.

Grade: 6.5/10

Favorite non-hit track: “Photographic”

A BROKEN FRAME (1982)

Sheesh. This one’s pretty rough. The group – now a trio with their chief songwriter departing – have dug themselves a wide trench and jumped in. There’s very little to say about this one, it’s just boring.

The songwriting isn’t that bad. There are enough ideas happening here to make a lot of the tracks unique, although many of them are pretty barebones. Redundancy is actually something that plagues later DM albums so it’s nice to see it isn’t a case here. Plus, having Gahan and Gore share lead vocals on “Shouldn’t Have Done That” gives that song a special feeling, a late album treat. “Nothing To Fear” is a neat instrumental, not riveting or anything but also unique against the album’s other tracks. Otherwise, the good tracks here are just some very Depeche-y songs, like “Leave in Silence,” “See You” and
“The Sun & The Rainfall.”

Those songs are decent, but there’s no real standouts here. The songwriting is a bit minimal, often moving on just one idea until it runs out of gas. More critically, the production is hollow. There’s a lot of dead air, with Gore sounding distant and the synths not sounding full enough. It feels like a trial run – in a way, it was – for a band that had already had a major hit. The production really kills whatever beauty this album could’ve had, and reduces it into just a passable, forgettable synth album. Skip it.

Grade: 4/10

Fav non-hit track: “Shouldn’t Have Done That”

CONSTRUCTION TIME AGAIN (1983)

When I jumped into this project, I truly didn’t know what to expect from the 80’s hit valley albums, but I expected a number of releases like Frame. Luckily, this one overdelivered! It’s far from a great album, but it’s also a tall step up from the utter tediousness of their sophomore record.

There’s a lot of fun ideas on this album, and the best tracks are the ones that feel wholly unique. Opener “Love, In Itself” is a dark and moody to kick the album off, an omen of better Depeche albums down the line. It’s a tortured song of needing more than love, complete with minor key synths that hit hard. The follow-up, “More Than A Party,” is bouncier but stands as the highest energy Depeche song to date (in fairness, not much competition). It’s a great song that shows a side of the band they often ignore. “The Landscape is Changing” shows some inspiration taken from industrial music, which was operating on the sidelines of the same synth-pop movement. Again, it’s something the band clearly can do, but rarely does. So that’s a nice, unexpected late-album banger.

The middle of the album does sag, though. “Everything Counts” and “Two Minute Warning” are simply songs that exist, and I could not find an opinion to elicit at all. Same goes for “Told You So” and “And Then” at the album’s end. “Pipeline” worked on paper, as the band took a very Asian-influenced rhythm and fed it through synths, but the song doesn’t exist much beyond it and it stretches on for far too long. There’s still considerable downtime on this album.

I won’t say this is a great album, it’s fine, just one with some great songs. I’m glad I listened to it. This is the true birth of the band that would go on to sustained greatness – the first two albums are scratched experiments. I’m excited on what the next few albums hold, while apprehensive. We’re in a serious hit drought, still albums away from Violator. But! Onwards I will go.

Grade: 6/10

Fav non-hit track: “More Than A Party”

SOME GREAT REWARD (1984)

Well, hm. I’ve gotta respect the work ethic here – they haven’t missed a year yet. But after the more adventurous and diverse Construction, this feels like a bit of a backpedal. Frustrating, and disappointing. This is another Depeche album where there’s simply not much going on, it feels like mostly downtime. That’s no good!

Okay so I’m not gonna go back and edit my mistakes, I’ll own up to it – I thought we were in a low period for hits, but I didn’t think about “People Are People.” At track 3, it’s the first interesting song here. “Something to Do” has a tantric rhythm, but it’s got nothing lyrics, and on the whole it’s a bit dull. “Lie To Me” left no impression on me whatsoever! The rest of the first side of the album followed in this manner – songs I simply didn’t care about one way or another. “It Doesn’t Matter” didn’t matter, and “Stories of Old” felt a bit empty despite some fun music.

Side B fared better! “Somebody” was a nice, and surprising, piano ballad. For a band that has always relied on synths, the switch to real piano was a shock. That’s followed by “Master & Servant,” another industrial-tinged flare, with far more interesting lyrics than any song prior. These two back-to-back really helped to save the album from being dismal. “Blasphemous Rumors” closes things out, a minor classic that was better than I remembered.

There are some standout tracks, but it feels like a regression. The music is back to sounding repetitive and midtempo, and the lyrics are pretty forgettable across the board. It’s a pleasant album, and the band is starting to gel more on the “who does what” front, but it just isn’t that interesting. A shame. Oh well.

Grade: 4.5/10

Fav non-hit track: “Master & Servant”

BLACK CELEBRATION (1986)

Finally, we’re getting into some real meat & bones Depeche Mode. This is the first album so far where it’s really felt a full album of inspired stuff that’s distinctly Depeche. The album has its faults – mostly strange ones – but it’s a vast improvement over Reward, too.

Let’s talk about the opening track. The title track really caught me off-guard! So far, the albums have had somewhat weak openers that lead into a better track, but this one starts off hot. In fact, “Black Celebration” is the best song on the album. It’s got a very complicated, puzzling central rhythm and good vocals that produce a song that sounds vaguely threatening. It taps into the torturous well that many of the best Depeche songs pull from, one of the first great ones so far. The two following songs – “Fly on the Windscreen” and “A Question of Lust” follow suit, but to diminishing returns. Still, it’s the template of better Depeche to come, and it feels like the first time it’s been solidified.

“A Question of Time” starts off the back half with a real moody and intriguing vibe, a great rebound after the first half trails off. Late-album track “World Full of Nothing” is also very strong, a soft and absent piano ballad that sounds pretty bleak. “But Not Tonight,” which is just a bonus song on extended editions, finishes off the album with a bouncy, catchy rhythm, the kind that is largely missing from the back half.

There’s still general downtime on this album. Both halves have songs that simply didn’t register an impression on me, and it was really disappointing how quickly the first side tapered off after a great start. Also, there were bizarre issues in the mixing; some songs were just too quiet? Everything in “New Dress” sounded hushed in a way that was unintentional, like it was a lo-fi production. Everything got lost in the mix. It was odd. This happened on a few tracks, but it was the most noticeable on “Dress.”

Still! I really enjoyed this album. Even the lesser tracks offered something fun, and the band is really, truly, taking shape. We’re ramping up to Violator, and it’s making me hopeful for the albums that come in between. This is a solid record with some real standout tracks, it’ll be worth a revisit!

Grade: 7/10

Fav non-hit track: “Black Celebration”

MUSIC FOR THE MASSES (1987)

Celebration felt like a template for the Depeche Mode albums to come, and this is a mostly fun minimalistic supplemental piece. This doesn’t feel quite as “Depeche” as the albums bookending it, but it still sees the band maturing and solidifying their base sound. For me, this one didn’t hit quite as hard as the ravenously positive retro reviews, but it’s still very solid.

The album opens with hit “Never Let Me Down Again,” which is a great song and not at all a good album opener. It sets the tone of the album, but doesn’t have either enough oomph or nuance to feel like a proper intro. Still, it’s an excellent song! The follow-up, “The Things You Said,” might be more indicative of the album – pleasant, minimalistic and vaguely ambient. It’s lighter than previous Depeche songs, which mostly aren’t super loud or heavy to start with. Most of Masses plays with this minimalistic sound. It’s nice that they can pull it off, given that that isn’t a trait common among synth bands (and knowing the album that’s looming). “Sacred” sees this style coupled with the band’s standard religious lyrics in a winning effort. On the back half, “To Have and To Hold” works minimalistically, as well.

The album’s three biggest divergences all work incredibly well, too – the very fun and bouncy “Behind the Wheel,” the piano ballad “Nothing” and the unique instrumental “Pimpf.” These tracks manage to expand the band’s sound on an album that otherwise defines it.

As always, the album isn’t perfect. There are a few down spots. “I Want You Now” has a strong vocal performance and a layered melody, but it doesn’t sustain the interest. And “Little 15” is straight up dull. However, these were the only two songs that really stuck out to me negatively, which is the best batting average of any album yet.

Another high point is the production – it’s been shaky to outright bad on other albums, but everything sounds great here. The mixing is strong on these songs, especially the more layered ones. But even on the minimalistic tunes, there’s care put into the softness and richness of each contributor. The band is really settling into their midtempo groove – basically every song is midtempo – as they’re really starting to congeal more than ever. It’s easy to see why this album is beloved by some, it’s got a number of individual great songs on it. The best tracks either sound exactly like Depeche, or very different. This was the moment the band was really taken seriously – pretty comical, since Violator is just around the corner.

Grade: 7.5/10

Fav non-hit track: “Behind the Wheel”

VIOLATOR (1990)

I mean, what is there to say about Violator that hasn’t already been said by people more qualified than me? It’s an all-timer album! It also is definitely not a first-time listen for me, but it’s been so long that it felt like one.

This is the big one for a reason. Their songwriting has improved, and their concept of what they can do with an album has greatly improved. I mentioned before that the band struggled with opening tracks and sequencing – well those issues are erased here. The album is sequenced perfectly, and explores what to do with downtime on an album. “World In My Eyes” is a great opener, a standard but solid Depeche song, and one that lulls the listener into false expectations. “Sweetest Perfection” follows the same trend, though both songs make it obvious that this album is better produced than any previous Depeche effort. But when those two songs give way to “Personal Jesus,” something hits. “Jesus” is of course a massive hit on its own, but it sounds pummeling on the album. The band hadn’t put a song like that out in years, far funkier and confident than listeners at the time were used to.

When talking about sequencing, we’ve gotta look at the transition between “Waiting For The Night” and “Enjoy the Silence.” The former is a minimalistic tune, hypnotic but barely present, and one that ends on the same rhythm that “Silence” starts on. It allows the latter tune to hit so hard refreshingly hard that it sounds energizing, even though it’s a song I’ve heard a thousand times. Likewise, the band explores free space at the end of “Silence,” cut out from the radio version. There are a few hidden interludes on this album that really work well in separating songs and ideas.

Everything on this album just works well. There’s still space to say I loved the closing track, “Clean,” which reminded me greatly of Pink Floyd’s “One Of These Days.” Also, I listened to the extended version, so I picked up some neat instrumental tracks after the record. “Kaleid” was the most interesting one of these, something that sounds more akin to today’s electronic than 80’s Depeche Mode. All in all, this one rocks, but did you not already know that?

Grade: 9/10

Fav non-hit track: “Clean”

SONGS OF FAITH & DEVOTION (1993)

Alright folks, if you’re reading all of these posts in order than it all comes together at once, but it’s actually been about a month since I spun Violator, so apologies if this gets inconsistent or loose or anything. It’s been a busy month – we moved, then my gf had surgery, and work has been crazy. And, for whatever reason, I just haven’t been in a Depeche Mood. But we’re back, where I had left off right in the middle of their peak.

I’m not sure this album hit for me the way it seemed to hit most upon its release. I’ve always known this one to be one of their bigger, better albums, and for good reason. It expands on their creative peak of Violator, and even if the actual songwriting isn’t quite as exemplary, it really solidifies the sound that the band has become known for since that album. This is a gloomy, depressing album, and one highlighted by religious imagery. There have been hints (or full-blown excursions) into that territory before, but never as deep or consistent as here. I mean, look at the album title. They didn’t make it subtle.

Okay, first off, I loved the opening track. “I Feel You” has a respectably high number of spins on Spotify, especially as one that I don’t think I was already familiar with. It’s a departure – somewhat – from the electronics-based sound the band is known for. It’s more of a rock song, with live guitar and drums and a complex time signature. It feels like the opposite of Radiohead dropping the synth-based Kid A, a surprise given how immensely popular the previous album was. It was also the lead single, a changing of the guards song. To be quite honest, the rest of the top side of this album didn’t really grab me! You can maybe chalk that up to a pre-coffee listen at work, but the next few songs felt a bit like “more of the same,” to me.

Side B mostly all worked for me, thankfully. I really dug the later single “In Your Room,” a patient and gloomy song that really grabs that dark-synth, goth vibe that they excel at. Gary Numan apparently credits this album with helping him get heavier, and it’s easy to see why in this song. (Side note: Numan has put out some incredible albums in the last decade). “Get Right With Me” is a livelier song, at least in comparison, thanks to a bouncy vocal rhythm. It’s a very textured song; so far, Depeche has done much better with layered songs rather than barebones ones. “One Caress” is a string section-backed ballad, one that comes as a surprise after the rock/electronic songs prior, but one that fits right in with the tone. It’s a great piece of gloomy art, and couples nicely with “I Feel You” in showing how the band can be comfortable in uncomfortable territory. The closer “Higher Love” is another solid ballad, with a great vocal performance. It’s not the finest song on the record, but one that acts as a great closer.

All in all, I did really enjoy this album. I owe it – especially the first half – a pretty immediate re-listen. I think it could become a personal favorite. Consider a grade on this one to be temporary, as it could easily be elevated. The band is on a hot streak, and this album is extremely important in formulating the sound and aura that all of the future albums would strive for. Although the biggest album is behind us, this is the one that FEELS the most like Depeche Mode.

Grade: 7.5/10

Fav non-hit track: going back and forth here because “I Feel You” was very much a hit, but one that I didn’t already know, and maybe my favorite first-time hear so far. I’ll toss in “One Caress” too, not a single at all.

ULTRA (1997)

So, the point of these projects is that I listen to a band’s catalog in a condensed amount of time, so I can track how a band progresses, and to get better at listening to full catalogs. But I needed a break! So I’m actually writing this one months after Faith & Devotion. It was an unfortunate place to take a break, as this album was such a near-disaster that it really comes in at a left angle on the listener.

Depeche Mode is in turmoil. Alan Wilder is gone and Dave Gahan has both overdosed and attempted suicide since the last album. It looks like a lot of people assumed the band was finished – and justifiably so. But instead, we get this dense and puzzling album. Knowing the backstory, the whole album feels darkly mystical and downright uncomfortable, as if Gahan is going to disappear halfway through. The sense of dread that fills it is, almost unfortunately, something that could’ve helped their rough early albums. The blackened cover and the maximalism-implying title give this one a real sense of doom.

As for the actual album, it’s often great but somewhat frustrating. The opening track – with the apropos title “Barrel Of A Gun” – is a dark and funky tune that sounds gleefully miserable. The specific tone of the song is difficult to pinpoint, which is something that truly works well. I mean, what’s more goth than this? The immediate follow-up is a left turn, “The Love Thieves,” a much more toned-down and moodier piece. It’s nearly as effective as the opener.  The album continues on this inconsistent trend throughout.

Some tracks stand out more than others. “It’s No Good” is another funky jam and an early highlight. “Useless” is a real solid tune, borderline industrial and richly textured with multiple overlapping rhythms. Late-album track “Freestate” is maybe the most ‘classic’ Depeche song on the album, midtempo and brooding but still catchy, and the song’s placement towards the end after a lot of experimentation is a nice touch.

The album’s biggest drawback is length. The thing is an hour long, and it includes a few instrumental ditties that just don’t serve much of a purpose. It is, at times, a slog. Some songs like “Home” and “The Bottom Line” just don’t hit very hard, and make it apparent that the album could’ve used a touch more editing. Some tracks, namely “Sister of Night” and “Insight,” are mostly great – but overstay their welcome. Truthfully, the album could’ve been trimmed.

With some cutting, this could’ve been a classic in the highest regard. It’s still a downright great Depeche album, their most haunting album to date (and probably overall). It isn’t really one that demands a number of relistens, due to its nature, but it will be a great one to come back to once and a while. And speaking of coming back, I’m excited to come back to this project, as it’s suddenly less than a week before I’m seeing Depeche Mode live!

Grade: 7.5/10

Fav non-hit track: “Useless,” which was released as a single but clearly didn’t make waves – it’s one of the lesser-played tracks, at least on Spotify.

EXCITER (2001)

I often find that when I have days when I am feeling particularly bad – be it sickness, anger, or poor mental health – I often follow it up with a day where I feel great. This album feels like the second day. After the sludge of darkness of Ultra, we get a release that’s much more atmospheric and euphoric. I’ve talked a lot in these posts about the importance of cover art, and just compare the two albums. Ultra has a cover of all black and gritty font. The Exciter cover? A lovely agave leaf. It’s pleasant to look at. And, it’s pleasant to listen to.

Full disclosure, I listened to this a week or so ago, possibly longer, so it really isn’t as fresh in my memory as I would like. I would love to relisten now – but I don’t have much time! It’s still in my brain, anyways. Onwards: I’m surprised by many of the middling grades assigned to this album. Scores for this one are pretty all over the place, and while I felt it wasn’t up to the standards of the last couple releases, it’s still a very strong and unique album.

As stated, this one is a lot more ambient than anything before it. I can see that being a letdown for folks expecting more dense muddiness, but it complements Ultra well. The album’s opener, “Dream On,” is a cheery pop tune with, shockingly, acoustic guitar. It’s the first in a series of songs that feature instruments, influences and textures not normal for Depeche Mode. “The Sweetest Condition” is a nice, breezy tune that mixes an urgent vocal performance with patient music. “The Dead of Night” has more of a droning rhythm, heavier in nature but still funky. “Freelove,” is a soulful and mature track that is very heavy on the blustery mood. The last one I really enjoyed, “I Feel Love,” is another optimistic one, a house music influence on a winding pop tune. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s nice to hear them having fun.

However, this one suffers the same major problem that Ultra does; there’s unnecessary downtime. It is not as egregious here, because the ambient nature leads to less jarring transitions, but it still feels like there are moments where you’re waiting for a bigger song to come along. This has been kind of a running issue through their catalog, one that hasn’t been amended by increased success. The songs I noted as the great ones are quite literally tracks 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. The ones in between are less interludes and more puffier songs that don’t really work all that well. When the album hits, it’s great, but it couldn’t be spottier by design. Still, I think this is one of the more unique entries, and I think it’s one I may actually find myself coming back to often.

Grade: 7/10

Fav non-hit track: “I Feel Loved”

PLAYING THE ANGEL (2005)

Four years later. A tumultuous 90’s saw the band grab their biggest hits and best albums, while spiraling out of control behind the scenes. Ultra was the low, Exciter is the rebound. Now, in 2005, we’re settling into normalcy. But that sounds like an insult – this album is anything but complacent! I was expecting something steadier and less experimental, and this album is just that, but it’s an absolute blast. Quite frankly, I loved it.

Let’s talk about “Precious.” I was 15 when it came out, and I was only listening to guitar rock. Just starting to come into my own, I was chowing down the indie on VH1 at the time – Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand, etc. I was just starting to get into punk and metal, too. I was hearing this song a lot, and I felt couldn’t land anywhere on it. I felt like it was something I wasn’t supposed to like, because it wasn’t what I already liked. Long story short, the song was instrumental (uh, no pun intended), in me learning I did not need to pigeonhole myself into liking any specific kind of music. To this day, I see the song for exactly what it is: an absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking piece of music.

This album starts off hot. “A Pain That I’m Used To” is a blaring opener, and just sounds cool. It’s a sonic shift after the ambient mix of Exciter. The second track, “John the Revelator” is centered around Dave Gahan’s vocals, one of his best vocal performances yet (if not the best). And, to complement that, “The Sinner In Me” features some very fun synth work that stands at the crossroad of funk and industrial, with little in the way of vocals. Both songs prove that Depeche Mode has overcome the murk and mire of the 90’s. Elsewhere, “Nothing’s Impossible” has a lot of groovy stuff going on despite a moderate tempo, and “Lilian” has a nice hook, although it is very much a late-album track in spirit.

Perhaps the biggest joy of the album is that it feels like they put the same amount of genuine effort into crafting every song, as opposed to bolstering the album with lesser tracks, like the previous two releases. This may be due to Gahan taking over some lyric writing for the first time. Still, there are some lesser tracks; “I Want It All” is an engaging ballad but it stretches on too long, and “Macro” just misses in general. “Damaged People” has some fantastic lyrics, but the final product is only a fair one.

My I’ve gone long. I really really enjoyed this one, suffice it to say it may be my favorite so far, besides Violator, of course. Genuine surprise – I thought I was settling into a run of C+ releases. What a delight.

Grade: 8/10

Fav non-hit track: This is tricky, as “Precious” was the only song I knew going in. But if I am to stick to non-singles, then “The Sinner In Me.”

SOUNDS OF THE UNIVERSE (2009)

Okay, see, this is more of what I was expecting from this era. This one won’t go long because my immediate thoughts are that I just don’t have much to say here. Universe is full of mostly midtempo meanderings, something that feels tame and stopgap. Not bad by any means, but very template. We haven’t gotten an album like this since the 80’s.

Let’s dig in. One thing I’ve noticed so far, with both individual songs and full albums, is that the band likes to run overlong. The opening track, “In Chains” starts with silence and then a curious softness, like a grand awakening. It’s a cool and subtle opening, until the song just falls into midtempo complacency. By the end, it gets kinda dull. At nearly seven minutes, it could’ve been saved. Follow-up “Hole to Feed” is a bouncier song, but it doesn’t amount to much. Again, we see an album that sacrifices the opening tracks to build to a different one. “Wrong” is a classic, I’ve loved it since the day the album dropped. But hearing that funky, heavy rhythm and the urgent vocals really highlights how pointless the first two songs felt.

There’s some fun stuff right after. “Fragile Tension” is a very fun ditty that sounds like a much younger band. And “Little Soul” is a great, spacey song that sounds like something Depeche would’ve recorded twenty years earlier. “Peace,” similarly, is a very spacey song. It drags in tempo, but the soundscape more than makes up for it. “Miles Away / Truth Is” has an exceptional vocal performance, probably the best one on the record.

That’s about it though. The album’s other tracks are mostly just mildly interesting songs that exist. None of them are bad, but few of them are great. It’s sad to see such a sharp downturn in quality, especially after such a long run. But I also expected it, in a way. We’re approaching a run of albums I’ve heard before and I’m not incredibly pumped to revisit them. But I will!

Grade: 6/10

Fav non-hit track: “Fragile Tension”

DELTA MACHINE (2013)

Quite frankly, I’m not sure if this is a first time listen or not. By 2013, I was already a long ways into “liking the Depeche Mode hits” and, a few years later, I picked up a discarded CD version of this release on the side of the road. But I don’t think I ever actually listened to it. Either way, this to me exemplifies what I think of when I think Depeche Mode – a lot of midtempo songs full of synth and almost uncomfortable amounts of sex and religion. I came into this one with low expectations, thanks to a perceived notion that I may have listened to it and disliked it. Hey I listen to a lot of music, I can’t be expected to remember what I have and have not heard. Either way, it surpassed the expectations, but not by much.

This one has a great opener! “Welcome to My World” feels similar to the opening track of Universe, in that it recognizes the importance of an auspicious beginning. It’s a confident song, and features a lot of morphing and tempo changes, something mostly foreign to Depeche Mode. The follow-up, “Angel,” is just a good Depeche Mode ditty. Nothing more – what you picture with the phrase “good Depeche Mode song.” There were great tracks peppered through this one. “My Little Universe” is a great and more experimental one, a song that feels both bouncy and minimalist. The even better “Soft Touch / Raw Nerve” has the same energy, with a beat that somehow blends minimalism and industrial. “Soothe My Soul” is the album’s best track, very fun energy with powerful lyrics and harmonization (!) between Gahan and Gore. The song feels akin to a religious awakening, fitting that it comes at the end of an album chock full of religious analogies.

Too much, maybe. The album’s lyrics are not really up to par, honestly. They feel vague, and when they do get religious, it’s too persistent. “Angel” transitions right into “Heaven.” And there’s just too many midtempo ballads. “Secret to the End,” “Broken” and “Alone” are all interchangeable snoozers. “Slow” is a great ballad, but it comes at the album’s midpoint, when we’ve already gotten a few similar-but-worse tracks that bog it down. The album really needs two or so more songs with energy. It just gets kind of drab, which is exactly what I feared this album would be.

In the end, it’s an improvement over the general boredom of Universe. The songs here feel fuller, except for two brilliantly minimalist songs. There’s too much downtime, but the highs of this album are excellent – well above the ones of the previous album. It was a mixed experience. I won’t be coming back to this one anytime soon; however I have grabbed a couple songs off of it, that are just DM all-timers. Ah well. The finish line is near.

Grade: 6.5/10

Fav non-hit track: I don’t think I knew any of these songs coming in, and the best is “Soothe” but for the sake of not picking a single, it’s “Soft Touch / Raw Nerve.”

SPIRIT (2017)

By this point, I know I’ve listened to this album. I was already into my “listen to all new music” mode that I’m still very much in, so I spun this one. But I don’t remember it much. Besides, with the album’s background, how could I not? Depeche Mode have always avoided politics, but for this album, they dive head in. The state of politics both American and British was beyond dire, and the band specifically felt the pressure when that fascist should-be-murdered-in-the-street bitchboy Dick Spencer called DM the band of the alt-right. The band was pretty hurt by this, releasing two statements condemning Spencer and the alt-right and releasing a very leftist inspired video for “Where’s the Revolution?” Boy I bet they enjoyed watching him get punched.

Anyways, let’s dig into it. The opener here is great, “Going Backwards,” a depressing tune with great vocals and a nice beat. It sets up the album nicely, as Depeche are channeling politics into their music without sacrificing any of the misery. “The Worst Crime” is pretty similar, a downtrodden song that isn’t really a ballad. It also has – shockingly – a guitar line as the primary focus. This is an entirely different side of DM. The follow-up, “Scum,” is the closest thing to a straight rock song that the Mode has ever done. At points on this album, they really feel a new energy, a new anger. From a politics perspective, “Poorman” is the most direct song on the album, with blatant anti-corporate and pro-worker lyrics. It’s very cool to see a band at this stage in their career chime in with this kind of stuff. Genuinely, it’s refreshing. And “Where’s the Revolution,” the single, is of course a classic DM song. We’re still waiting.

This is not the most consistent album, unfortunately. When the band strays away from politics, it gets weaker. “You Move” is a fine Depeche Mode song, but it follows the two political, rock-adjacent songs. It is classic synths-and-sexy-lyrics, which feels like a backpedal. Other tracks like “Cover Me” and “So Much Love” are just time-fillers. “Poison Heart” is a very full song sonically and very interesting from a music perspective, but suffers from lackluster lyrics. “No More Time” is a fun one, but one that didn’t leave much of an impression on me.

Overall, this was a very interesting experiment for the band. Some people have criticized their political lyrics for being too blunt, but why? When you’re dealing with politics, no need to be poetic. No one has levied that criticism at Pennywise before. They were already expanding their horizon! The album is ultimately a bit unfocused sometimes, however, and it gets bogged down in inconsistencies. Still, I enjoyed it, especially at this later stage in their career. One day left before the show, one album left to spin.

Grade: 7/10

Fav non-hit track: “The Worst Crime”

MEMENTO MORI (2023)

And see, this is why I do these experiments. I spun this one twice when it first came out, and both times I reluctantly dismissed it as repetitive midtempo noodling. Now I have a fresher, deepened mind on all things Depeche, and it’s allowed me to see this album for what it really is. And it’s a gorgeous one.

Death surrounds this album. It was already surrounding this album during the songwriting phase, as many songs focus on mortality, but that became tenfold truer when Andy Fletcher passed away in 2022. Allegedly, he had neither contributed to nor heard any of the early versions of the songs when he passed, so this was recorded truly as a duo. The opener, “My Cosmos Is Mine,” is easily the most haunting song the band has ever done. It sounds like it was recorded in the depths of Hell, like something we weren’t meant to hear. The follow-up, “Wagging Tongue,” is equally grim, with the repeated line about watching another angel die. “Don’t Say You Love Me” is a pure goth ballad, one that sounds a bit old school for them. “Before We Drown” is a late-album song that’s also haunting with some cool synth stuff, albeit not as good as previous tracks. And the closer – “Speak To Me” – is a true Depeche song for the ages. It is an incredibly moving song, a powerful death ballad, and one that makes me wonder how I missed it the first two times. Even for Depeche, this is a doom and gloom release.

But it isn’t all that way! Lead single “Ghosts Again” may not be an uplifting track, but it does sound like one, with a very bouncy beat that sounds like 80’s Depeche. “People Are Good” is also a simple but unexpectedly optimistic song, one that’s necessary so the album doesn’t get too downtrodden. On a much softer note, “My Favorite Stranger” is a nice and bouncy one, though it is a bit on the uninspired side.

There are some weak spots on the album. “Soul With Me,” Martin Gore’s only lead vocal track on the album, was just too corny for me. “Always You” is one that completely lost me, a dull ballad stashed away towards the bottom. And while I enjoyed “Caroline’s Monkey,” I couldn’t put my finger down on what exactly the band was going for.

The real power of this album lies in the vocals. Song after song, we get the best harmonies and the best lead vocal performances from Dave Gahan that we’ve gotten in years. Practically every track has impeccable vocals, it truly is astonishing. “Never Let Me Go” might be the best vocal performance of the bunch, but it’s truly too hard to say. All in all, on a third listen, I loved this one. Now I get it.

Grade: 8/10

Fav track: Since this is one is new the slate is clean for song choice! I think it’s “My Cosmos Is Mine.”

And that’s a wrap! There’s a way to write 5,000+ words on Depeche Mode. I really enjoyed this project, it’s been a blast to dig into these albums after years of saying I should. I found a lot of great cuts and some excellent albums to revisit. And I feel prepped to see them tomorrow. Gonna cry when they play “Precious.” If you like this, check out some other entries! I’m going to try and do one more this year, haven’t picked the artist yet though.

Stay tuned, homeboys.