Depeche Mode – Sounds of the Universe (2009) [Capitol] // Grade: C+

What may be Depeche Mode’s strongest outing since 1997′s magnificent Ultra is a key ingredients shy of recapturing that albums magic… one or two over the top singles. While “In Chains” & “Wrong” are very good songs, as singles they are only so in a tertiary sense and not strong enough tracks to carry the rest of the album.

It’s sad that a track as good as “Precious” was wasted on the bland Playing the Angel where it could have helped complete this album. Without that bombastic, over powering catchy tracks, the rest of the album can’t really weave in and out as successfully as good Depeche Mode albums usually do. The handful of filler tracks just feel that much more empty and the good tracks feel like an aperitif with no main course. They sit there enjoyable yet entirely unremarkable, only building a bridge to more of the same.

Great Depeche Mode albums are always made in the shadows of their overpowering singles, where emotion tends to overpower accessibility. Without one or two of those sorts of songs, the cracks and tape holding everything together just becomes that much more illuminated.

- My Pal the Crook