Urban Edge (boldly going) Evelyn Holtzhausen

Sounds of the Universe
Depeche Mode

Frankly I liked In Chains, the opening track of this CD so much, with its kick-ass snarling guitarwork, that I found it hard to get to track two, so I asked a die-hard Depech Mode fan to give it a listen. And his is what Lieb Venter had to say.
“One minute, 24 seconds worth of patient expectation, as I wait for Depeche Mode’s opening track, In Chains, off their new album to kick off! As I turn onto the N1 north, Dave Gahan’s baritone voice fills my car, and a smile crosses my face. Expectation exceeded!
“From their earliest album, Speak and Spell, released in 1981 to their latest offering, Depeche Mode has always captivated their audience with unique and innovative sounds. Sounds of the Universe, is not any different, it delivers from start to finish with great vocals backed by hypnotic beats and guitar rhythms.
“Three decades of experience shines through on this album, I would happily drive to the end of the universe, and back, listening to this.
So there you are. But it you are still not sure, even All Music reviewer Ned Raggett loved it. “On the whole,” he writes “Sounds of the Universe is a grower and it shows Depeche Mode are still able to combine pop-hook accessibility and their own take on "roots" music for an electronic age with sonic experimentation and recombination — not bad for a band with almost three decades under its collective belt.”
As for me, I am still listening to track one and after all the raves looking forward to the rest. EJH