Depeche Mode is considered to be the elder statesmen of electronic music. The band has influenced everyone from the Crystal Method to The Killers to Death Cab for Cutie. The band’s eleventh studio album, Playing the Angel, only further proves why it is still relevant and is still leading the way with synthesizers. The album is a long-awaited masterpiece full of classic synth pop hooks, dance beats and depressing lyrics. Anyone who is a fan will be very happy, if not impressed, that finally, Depeche Mode is really back.
The first single off the album, “Precious,” is a delicate and addictive song with synth pop hooks and gentle beats. The tune is emotionally overwhelming with lines such as, “Angels with silver wings/Shouldn’t know suffering/I wish I could take the pain for you…”
Unlike the last two releases, Ultra and Exciter, Playing the Angel is danceable, edgy and gloomy. The back of the album’s cover says, “Pain and Suffering in Various Tempos.” The statement is no joke. The first track, “A Pain that I’m Used To,” is a dark confessional dance song admitting that even though it’s good the drama is over, what is happening now is worse than the past. Simply, Dave Gahan growls, “All this running around, well it’s getting me down, just give me a pain that I’m used to.” It sounds more like something Nine Inch Nails would have done, but honestly, it’s classic Mode.
Another danceable suffering is “Lilian.” The song sounds like something straight out of 1988 with a 21st century twist. For fans, it will make them think “Strangelove” meets “Black Celebration.” Another fun track is the Christian-slamming “John the Revelator.” Instead of seeking a personal Jesus, Depeche Mode is on a head hunt to take down hypocrisy.
Aside from dance grooves, the other half of the album is smooth, dreamy ballads. The album’s closer, “The Darkest Star,” is a moody lullaby. A perfect ending to an album of depressing lyrics and various dance beats. If anyone knows how to play an angel, certainly Depeche Mode can show people more than just a thing or two. In fact, they’re the forerunners of it.
