Depeche Mode
Sounds of the Universe (Bonus Track Version)
Album · Alternative · 2009
Almost three decades into their career, Depeche Mode keep regenerating. Sure, the magisterial angst of “Wrong” and the sharp melodies of “Fragile Tension” and “Perfect” are familiar tropes by now, and the warmth of the analogue equipment employed is deliberately retro, but there’s a satisfying sense of adventure here too. “Come Back”’s torpid throb and twisted guitars recall My Bloody Valentine, while the winningly blithe “Spacewalker” is a first foray into lounge music.