April 19, 2001
Depeche Mode : Dream On
A functional first single from an expansive and adventurous album.
After a decade wracked by overdoses, bust-ups and nervous breakdowns, the Mode's first
all-new album since their drug-scarred 'Ultra' four years ago
dips a toe in the water in the
shape of this broody spaghetti western soundscape. It begins unplugged and naked with a finger-picking guitar, and Dave Gahan in breathy, sombre mood. One minute later, the elemental passions and stark electronics
kick in, with dark allusions to parasites and body horror. This is a stripped-down Modeworld, shorn of Spinal Tap self-parody, and reconnected to their techno-pop roots by LFO/Björk producer Mark Bell. A functional first single from an expansive and adventurous album.
Stephen Dalton
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