The twelfth studio album of synth pop band Depeche Mode is certainly not a high point in their existence, but it is not bad. The band tries to get back to its Eighties roots, but with a better soundstage. I must say, on my setup they sound better than I remember when I listened to it the first time.
Depeche Mode started in 1980 after almost forcing some members together. Core of the band were Dave Gahan (singer) and Martin Gore (guitar and keyboards). The name comes from a mistranslation of the name of a french fashion magazine: Dépêche Mode, meaning ‘fashion news’. Gahan said it meant ‘fast fashion’.
The third founding father of the band was Andy Fletcher, also on keyboards. He died in 2022, two years after the band was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
