Sounds of the Universe
Mute

There are rock stars, and then there are Rock Stars, and then there is Depeche Mode. Forget that they have been producing some of the most revelatory, genre bending, melodic, spiritually and socially conscious noise of the highest quality for nearly 30 years. Forget that they are currently about to embark on a worldwide stadium tour that is sure to draw sellout crowds. ‘Sounds of the Universe’ borders on; as track 10 off the album would attest, ‘Perfect’. The opening A synchronization of instruments of improbable physical existence must be enjoyed with a decent 5.1 surround system. The minute long tuning fork for the cosmos will rattle up your brain and if you have one you'll really enjoy it!

The album is a space age auditory road trip inside our minds in an attempt to explore and liberate what we're becoming as a species. They still stick to their tried and true formula of obsessive, rhythmic love pleas for recognition. ‘In Chains’ sets the darkly romantic tone of the set, with resonances on the clubby ‘Hole to Feed’, the sweet lament of ‘Perfect’ and wraps up with the taunting, fuzzy riff of ‘Corrupt’. ‘Wrong’, the thumping lead single initiates the counterpoint theme of the album; introspection and soul searching to push the human race forward in our ever increasingly interconnected world. ‘Fragile Tension’ illustrates the conflict of reconciliation of the human dilemma and the burgeoning technological age; "There's something mystical in our genes/So simplistic it kicks and screams/Oh well we're teetering on the edge of collapse/Nothing can keep us down." The clangy, robotic bossa nova duet of ‘Little Soul’ dreamily declares, "My little soul will leave a foot print/I'm channeling the universe/It's focusing itself inside of me/The singularity." ‘Jezebel’ has Martin soliloquizing about the continuing sexual gender gap, as ‘In Sympathy’ has a note of empathetic protest in it's chorus "You're wise/You're tough/You've heard their lies enough/You smile in sympathy." The pivot of the album, the New Age hymn ‘Peace’ has Dave proclaiming "Just look at me/I am walking love incarnate/Look at the frequencies at which I vibrate/I'm going to light up the world." If you're still looking for your own ‘Personal Jesus’, you may find that he's been inside you this whole time, and Depeche Mode would love to help you find him.