Depeche Mode - Sounds of the Universe

[Jafs]

This is coming...or is even already here. Thoughts ?

[crank]

not entirely sure yet, but I'm thinking it's a darker affair than Playing the Angel. Maybe a return to form(ish?) not sure yet, only one or two listens.

[jOHN rODRIGUEZ]

Still haven't received mine in the post yet. I don't think I'm to get it until the end of the month from what the mail tracking shows.

[Jafs]

Darker, and with a lot of new sounds I think.

Release date is for 20th of april, so it's normal you have not received it yet

[Lx_Nen]

Well, DM have only made 1 coherent listen-all-the-way-through album (Violator), and this seems to live up to the usual mixed-bag expectations.

Once you're past the odd intro that would work if it didn't get so bagpipey, it's pretty much a more grown-up version of PtA .thankfully without the oppressive brick-wall limiting, but also a lot lighter on memorable hooks.

"Wrong" is the only obvious single, "Peace" is odd but outstanding, and worth the price of the CD on it's own, but it ends very abruptly, which makes me wonder if the leak isn't the finished product. "Little Soul" is the low point, it's practically "goodnight lovers" over again - bleh! It's hard to resist playing "Jezebel" back to back with the Recoil track of the same name, and reaching the conclusion that Alan took away something essential when he left... even though there are more tantaslising hints of classic era Mode in this album than there were last time round.

One of the better Mode albums, but it's no Violator.

[crank]

I too have found a bunch of different trax out there with many different versions of the same song. odd really.

[Jafs]

some say that the * version is not the final one, that's possible !

[Dirty0900]

I have the promo of this to review, so if this is leaked i'm amazed. I only say so as all copies are supposedly watermarked and Mute Records made me sign an agreement pretty much saying they'd chop my balls off if I leak it.

But yer, its good, I like it!

[Jafs]

I nearly promised not to listen to this before having it in my hands for real, but the fact is that for the first time I was thinking to buy it in the box set edition... just want to avoid bad surprises

But whatever, the things I listened is clearly some new Depeche Mode

[Lx_Nen]

Yes, it's a definite leak of the real thing... good thing it did too, I probably wouldn't have convinced my other half to go see the new tour, or chosen the posh box set over the standard release without knowing it was this good.