Depeche Mode

With the turmoil of the '90s behind them, Depeche Mode find new focus with Exciter, their first album since 1997's Ultra. Producer Mark Bell (LFO, Bjork) strips back the stadium bombast, homing in on spindly electronic sounds that throw Gahan's bluesy baritone into stark relief; swelling banks of synths, strings and steel guitar pour added heat over icicle beats. The relative minimalism lets the record breathe more than previous albums, with careful arrangements and pin-drop production highlighting compelling songwriting -- and also making room for sheer sonic thrills.

Depeche Mode should be horribly burnt out or split up by now: They lost their initial
songwriter, Vince Clarke, after their 1981 debut; their principal musician, Alan Wilder,
after their eighth album; and their sanity in 1995, when singer Dave Gahan became a heroin
addict and attempted suicide. It's easy to forget that these Essex, England, unlikelies have
been around as long as R.E.M., U2 and Duran Duran. But unlike those titan troupe... More >