I’m a Depeche Mode fan from way back. If you ask my husband, he will say that he was the one who introduced me to the band. But I swear, I have been a fan since “Personal Jesus.” I just didn’t have an older brother to hook me up with CDs (or, back then, cassette tapes).
Regardless, my husband is the far bigger Depeche Mode fan in this relationship. I was excited to review Dave Gahan’s new solo CD, Hourglass. I expected my husband to be just as excited, but instead he kind of blew me off. “His first solo disc Paper Monsters kind of sucked,” he lamented. “He can’t do it without Martin Gore.” But I when I played him Hourglass, I got to give him an “I told you so.”
The opening track, “Saw Something,” is haunting and memorable. “Kingdom,” the first single, is catchy without being poppy, despite its religious overtones (why are Gahan’s and Depeche Mode’s catchiest hooks paired with their more religious lyrics?). I respect any song that can include the lyrics “You’ve got us all/By the short and curlies” (“21 Grams”).
I would have liked a couple more upbeat, grinding, sexy songs like “Use You” (I can just see Dave Gahan performing this live, with a grinding pelvic dance that would put Elvis to shame). “Insoluble” was too slow, with too much feedback for me to enjoy.
All in all, this album can hold its own against any Depeche Mode disc. It’s sexy, it’s sultry, it’s just plain enjoyable. Just don’t get too cocky, Dave. We wouldn’t want you to leave the band.
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