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 Finally, after a much too long break, Depeche Mode has returned in 2005 with "Playing the Angel", their best album since 1993's "Songs of Faith and Devotion". While their 1997 release "Ultra" suffered from inconsistency, and their 2001 record "Exciter" had a hollow production and a tendency to be Depeche-lite, "Playing the Angel" is a definite return to form for the band.
The album opens up with the frightening sirens of "A Pain That I'm Used To", a song so shockingly fierce that it reminds us that the band can still kick it into overdrive. The chorus is very reminiscent of their mid 80's anthems, but as it ends, an insane cacophony of distorted guitars breaks out, driving the song into "concert-opener" status. The album moves on with "John the Revelator", a wonderfully catchy song with excellent production via Ben Hillier (Doves, Blur) who helps turns this upbeat stomper into an instant classic. This song is unlike anything I've heard by the band, but seems like it is what "Personal Jesus" would sound like on LSD. The album is the first of the band's to include compositions by singer Dave Gahan, as he lends his hand with "Suffer Well", "I Want it All", and "Nothing's Impossible". "Suffer Well" is an interesting fast paced number with excellent vocals by both Gahan (lead) and Gore (backing). The atmosphere created here of heavenly darkness is classic Mode. What follows is "The Sinner in Me", a sinister sounding song with brooding vocals by Gahan. Its dreary grooves sway you in and out as the synths pulse alongside Gore's distorted guitar line. The album's first single, "Precious", arguably one of the year's most infectious songs, is the safe trademark Depeche Mode song. It has a hypnotic guitar riff and a sing-along chorus that you'd be hard pressed to forget. Hillier showcases his production here, as the sounds blend and ease the song along smoothly. The lyrical content of the track, dealing with Gore's divorce and its effect on his children, shows this album was written in a dark place for him. The album hits the halfway mark with "Macro", a Gore sung track, which is one of the few missteps of the album. Though it is nice to see on the track, oddly enough, Gahan does backing vocals. "I Want it All", Gahan's second penned track, is like what the singer's solo album tried and failed at sounding like, but here, he succeeds. It's very dark and gloomy, with a crisp beat and some bizarre synth sounds. The album is surely the most organic the band has made in quite some time, and the use of analogue synths over digital shows in songs like this and "Nothing's Impossible". "Nothing's Impossible" is Gahan's darkest of his three tracks, with its creepy sounds and disturbingly beautiful chorus. It's sure to be a real crowd pleaser. The sole instrumental on the album, "Introspectre", is like every Depeche instrumental on an album; in other words, it's practically throwaway, but is useful in transition and keeping the pace during the full album listen. The second track with Gore on lead vocals, "Damaged People", is the better of the two, and has him at his crooning best. While the previous two albums suffered from weaker second halves, "Playing the Angel" keeps the flow throughout. The quick paced "Lillian" with Gahan's vocals masked with a vocoder displays this. It will definitely get your head nodding as the beats click and smash. The album closes with the 7 minute epic goth of "The Darkest Star", which is both cryptic sounding and vividly powerful at the same time. It helps put the finishing touches on a 50+ minute album that never feels long. There is no doubt that this is a five star album by Depeche Mode standards, and anyone else's for that matter. This is a necessary buy as it's arguably the best album of the year, and it's a refreshing sight to see a 25 year old band continue to stay fresh and vibrant while still pleasing both their dedicated fans and the constant-changing masses. If you've stuck along to read this entire review, you've wasted time that could have been better spent listening to this glorious album!
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Finally a NEW Depeche Mode album. I wasnt to excited with Exciter.. and I dont think many others were either. Fortunately this does offer more excitment and I would say its alot better then Exciter in many ways. The first single "Precious" really felt like how I expected a new Depeche Mode song to feel, utilizing not only nice synth sounds but also bring in the guitar at parts. Not all the songs on this album shine but it has some really really good songs that make up for others that are lacking. Dave wrote some lyrics this time and Im not sure which ones exactly but I think you can pick them out if your use to Martins style. I honestly didnt really like the tracks on which Martin lends his vocals to, he has had some great ones in the past but I feel this time around the tracks he is leading the vocals arent all that great, however Macrovision is pretty good. The filler "Introspective" is a waste of space of the disc and is a "skip" song..
It seems everybody agrees that the new album is an improvement on Exciter. It is but I still got problems with it.
