It also restored the faith that this band has a way with darker lyrics that speaks to the heart as witnessed in “Precious”

How many times have you heard someone say “it’s an album that grows on you?” How many times have you read that in reviews? Well, it is true of this album. Let me be honest, I am a huge Depeche Mode fan. And every time they release a new CD, us Mode junkies form excited little huddles discussing the almost natural rush of them bringing out some new material. Same happened with this… but this time round even die-hard fans admitted it’s not one of their most accessible pieces of work ever.

Is that a bad thing? Well, some of the purists would argue “no” as it keeps the loyal fanbase, well, pure. But I must reiterate this… this albums grows on you. It doesn’t come near their best work (which in my opinion is still “Music for the Masses.” But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good album. First single “Precious” enjoyed extensive airplay on Jacaranda 94.2 and is still very popular amongst listeners, faring well in music research and getting requested on features like You Pick the Mix. It also restored the faith that this band has a way with darker lyrics that speaks to the heart as witnessed in “Precious” - “I pray you learn to trust, have faith in both of us and keep room in your heart for two.” Since then, they’ve followed it up by releasing “A pain that I’m used to” and “Suffer Well.”

You have to admire how far this band has come… if you compare this sound to the earlier synth sounds (don’t even mention the hairdos… or should that be hair-don’ts), you won’t believe it’s the same band. In this regard, they’re very much the same as U2 who keeps reinventing themselves. Strongest tracks on the CD are tracks 11, “Lilian” and 12, “The Darkest Star”… it’s got all the makings of becoming those “only enjoyed by the fans” Mode songs… so it will probably not be unleashed on unsuspecting listeners anywhere… But if you like a little something different coming out of your stereo, you could do far worse than getting “Playing the Angel.”