Depeche Mode
Bonus Tracks
Reviewed by Austin Powell, Fri., May 8, 2009
Depeche Mode
Sounds of the Universe (Capitol)There's no brave new world for Depeche Mode. The UK trio's impeccably produced 12th album orbits back around the black-hole romanticism and sonic flourishes of its 1980s catalog with some welcome success ("Wrong," "Fragile Tension"). Dave Gahan's songwriting ("Hole to Feed," "Miles Away/The Truth Is") has improved since 2007's solo Hourglass, but this Sounds like a mundane midlife crisis.