o
The re invention
/'v it fxissthlr In irnnent your sound after
making musn for mart than I ? years?
Deftecht' Sloth may haw- managed In do
fust that on its 10th allnun, Son^s of
Faith .md Devotion.
\\< ncvri i rails want i<> irjK-.ii oursc-hrs.'' v.»\> 1 sc u
111 <i kr\*M>aidisi Andtrw Me it hrt “VVr s%< i* si n * ohm hhii
ih.it ihc* l.i\l .ilhiim was Mi< h .i mic c rss I his .ilhuiii is nme h
IcHiM-i and n !«-jiiogiammrel
l- svnhalls . S*mg\ in kind of a imd hie music al c iims h*i
Dr Mode |list a few srais ago. the IViKish foursome* gra* rd
nris irrn maga/me- c o\n on the nrwsNtanel Km die- new
♦ songs* airltills lake- ap.ii! (hr com rpl of Ih j* e hr .n mrir
kun^|>o|) pinups I nun (hr harsh shucking sound on (hr
ojM-ning «»l “I Keel You," tin group is (riling its andirmr
it's iimr to svakr up \M»ilr a srvrrr t all to amis in nn rs
v»n aliri a (hire* sc ai hiatiiN. V/ng> also turn! 1* mtriptrt
<•<1 .in a (Iansloiillation for (hr group \N ith iIn full iiiumc al
NjK*c hum vHirid. (1»in album in (hr antiihrMN ot (hr svnth
|k >p Ik-.iIn that lii n! gas*- ihr hand n«»(t»iiris
“Who wr apjM-al to mh|>iim-n un l U n hri n.isn rn
rath on ill oiif c air* i wr did a lot of Irrn maga/mrs We
svaniril to aim lot a j».u lie ulai utidienc r V *w. wr in not to
aim al ans atidirm r Wr makr must* ten ouisrhcN ami
whiH'sri hk«-N ii. 11k< n ti
I ha( music has metamorphosed. and I >< jk c hr M«*i* is
hoping (hr audicu* * who like s u mas we ll has* donr ihr
vtlll*- Songs inai ks ihr til si umr dial I lr(» he i le ad st h alisl
1 )as it I (..than, sniigwniri Marlin More and keyboardist
Man W ildri hasr woi k**d ssilh oulNidr nuiMt lam
“< )m |>kkIuc ri, McmkI i 1 1\ Nm* Inc h Veils 1. me nut
agrd us Iti * hange- all of our mlrs about sounds and msiiu
iiirnts." Uric hri viss "Hr * cuts me rd us to uv sumgs and
gc»n|m I smgri s "
“We make music for ourselves
and whoever likes it, likes it."
|- Jell liei sass l he «.«if»al"ass has lieeti hesitant lu .ill. m
olhri parti* ipant* to rillri HsMii.illiii.lt "Mjilill ».»
sets against the- ulra." lie sass "He a l\s ass Cell that esc is
s. mini sin mill Ik punlm e<t I is us tu it u null lit t In- v mil til
I iliiuk thnse (i.inside* | iiilliiem es plas kes loles un this
allium *
I lie Hnttsli group, sshose lust alhiilli "as teleasetl in
1981, is among the most intlueiiti.il in the atetia ol elei
By Rob Hooper, Univerrtty Timm, California State U., Los Angeles
Uoiik-based mmit It was not until "IVrsonal Jesus." a
dame tratk limn Variator, that Depet he even began to
ttuoipotale guitars into it' songs “I keel \ou." the tilnI
single liotn Vmgx, u Iu n heasib on wathmg guitar nils to
ian\ its aggressive sound *Il s not verv ie|>iesentalive ot
the irM o| the* album," Kleti fin adds
1 h< song, in tail, seems iiuonststrtit among the mem
go-round ot mood swings evident on the remaining nine
Hat ks It i\ also the onb t ommeii lalh at t essible t ut on
the new album “I dunk thete’s a lot that glows on you on
tins album." Ftetc hei savs “It takes tune It's not an instant
album "
S« tine standard I >e|»ei he mgi edtenis do exist on the new
album 1 he musit , at titties, leases the listener with a let*l
tng ot ini|K’nding doom rnuc h like l(.WVs HLuk (sUbnitum,
A new sound Is bom with Faith and Devotion
To say that Songs of Fadti and DnoOon it a new begin
ning tot Depeche Mode would be 10 downplay the quality at
its last few albums. This new effort matches 1990‘s Violator
in production quality but surpasses it with a senes of lyrical
punches.
The major themes here deal with sex and religion, eMch
are not new to lyricist Martin Gore Those topics find their
way into almost aH ot his songs.
Where Songs differs horn other Depeche projects is in
Gore's newly found succinct writing style. From the hopalesi
devotion and uncertainly of "In Yow Room* to the positive
redemption of *Get Right With Me.” Gore loaves you craving
more songs.
Be warned, though, because the lint single. *1 Fail You,*
is nothing like the rest of the album. Its test pace and heavy
guitar nra Dw no rwamwanci to me mooomvss or tn« nma
otnar tracas
Although the group has been cfMdaeiHn the past tor its
gloomy approach, this afcum contains many positive lyrics
camouflaged by suhan instrumenUHon.
Ha Hi
didory at lint ands up sounding so natural and aNortlaos.
This album may not grab you instantly; its hook is found
Songs lilt- "Mighrt Move" anti (lit- gov|>el-llavorrd 'Met
Kiglu \\ uh Me" i umn a positive outlook not tvpit al ol
l xitr s t illrn mot> >m- wot Id nm
Hrli lift saw Sungs iciiirviili Ixitli a lxivin.il and pm
trvvh n 1.11 > oming-t if age lot dir grunp\ mrmfx-rv I It' and
(»oir Iwitli bn amr fathriv while tlie album wat being
mottled W ildei who oversees the piodut lion asprt Is
with HimmI. levied the use ot live dr ums on main oi (be
viii^s “He's Ix-rn uoi king out latch lx-t ausr lie hasn't
tliummed m years," Men liei savswuh a laugh
l-or Malian, dm wot k shows uses an ext cplinn.il amount
ol total gmwih "Dave went lliiough Ircmendouv emo
tional liauniav," Melt bet says "lilt big telease wav deft
nitelv ill lough the vix alv on dm album Wheieav Ix-loie
he wav |x-iba|)v a bn la/v. be teallv a|)|>bed bimvell dm
lime Me |>ul a lot more emotion into hiv voice and iv
vinging (x-ihaps the hrvt hr'scvri vungbefoie
Whetbei oi not dm album at hieves the commercial sue -
tevv ol die lavl. ilv breadth of t hangr vliould apjx’al lo die
tollege audient e dial I lav long vupfxirted the gtnup Stings
aclheicv lo die l)t-|K-t hr formula toi lelravmg onh tpiahn
material
And the gioup iv looking forward to a lengthy world
lour lo vhowtave dial qualm. Beginning in I'.uropr dm
vtimmer and arriving m die l ruled Statev In dir tail, (he
vliow will make uve ol die guitars, live drumv and govprl
voundv heard chi the new album.
" rherr'v a vjx-t ul atmosphere created m a live veiling,"
lit- vaw "I don't know if n's juvi because out music icnilv
lo tranvlci well lo a live situalion or not. You'd dunk that it
would not. Peojile arr vo uvetl lo veeing the same type of
fund on viagr VVe just Itxik a fill different. I guess."
Mr adds with a laugh, "This time wr want to Itxik just
like a standard rock hand." Q