Depeche Mode have always just been there, without really making a massive impression. I quite liked the very early singles, but lost interest at the time hordes of teenage girls discovered the band.
I was aware they'd taken a darker and more gothic path since the 1980s, so when this 1993 album pitched up in the charity shop, I thought I'd risk a quid.
So, what have I missed? I Feel You and the single Walking In My Shoes make a solid enough start, while Condemnation, is a pleading, yet more melodic song with a hymn-like backing. Mercy In You is less immediate, a bit darker in feel, and an interesting listen, but the haunting tone of Judas doesn't work for me. In Your Room, works much better for me, while the gospel style of Get Right With Me is appealing, as is the catchy Rush. But the album seems to limp to a conclusion - the penultimate track is often where you try something different, as they do with the string accompaniment of One Caress, which, to me, feels limp, but you can get away with that by finishing on a high, which the very ordinary Higher Love doesn't.
This is a decent enough album, with enough to merit further listening, but I'm probably going to conclude that it just isn't my sort of thing. Sometimes it's just subjective taste.
3* - a rewarding occasional listen, but I doubt I'll fall in love with Depeche Mode
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