Depeche Mode, "Wrong"

Hey, you guys like Depeche Mode right? Well, here's the first single from their forthcoming album Sounds of the Universe. Produced by Ben Hillier, who also helmed the delightful return to form that was Playing the Angel way back in 'Ought Five, the track actually makes me think of some of the stuff from Dave Gahan's underrated 2007 solo album Hourglass. It's not knock-me-on-my-ass awesome, but it certainly has that recognizable DM sound and the repetition of the song title throughout actually hearkens back to some of the stuff they were doing circa Some Great Reward. Also, does anyone else really enjoy hearing Martin doing his angelic vocal thing as a counterpoint to Dave's tortured sex lizard wail? I sure do! I'm actually pretty excited for this record now!

Depeche Mode, "Wrong (Radio Edit)"

Mirror feat. Dave Gahan - Nostalgia

Just to whet your appetite for the new Mode record coming in 2009, peep this track by Mirror, featuring Dave Gahan. Mirror is a project of Tom Anselmi, ex-vocalist of legendary Expo '86-ruining Vancouver punkers Slow and ex-Grapes of Wrath(!?) and session keyboardist Vincent Jones. It doesn't matter how many times I read that last sentence back, I can't quite get my head around the idea of Dave collaborating on a record with such a weird can-rock pedigree. At any rate, it's the sort of torchy piano number that Martin always seems to end up singing on the Depeche Mode records (shades of Somebody, yo). Between this and the goodwill Dave earned with his excellent solo album last year I daresay I'm a touch excited to hear some new music from DM.


A tip of the hat to my homegirl Skepticle, always a font of science on the synthpop tip.