Welcome to the Delta Machine

Depeche Mode’s newest offering Delta Machine came out last Tuesday, and I snapped up a copy of the deluxe booklet version straight away.  As would any avid fan, I had very high hopes for this album, even after hearing “Angel” on YouTube during that early preview and then their first single “Heaven”.  I had mixed feelings about both songs, mainly because of the tempo.  Is a slower tempo song the right choice as a first single?  “Heaven” grew on me after some time and I now enjoy the song.  It’s got a bit of that soulful gospel feel to it, a bit like “Condemnation” without being so much like an anthem.

It wasn’t until after I heard the album a few runs through that I read the booklet and saw that Dave Gahan had quite a bit of contribution to the songwriting this go around.  In fact, he wrote one of my favorites called “Broken”.  I kept trying to find that “Depeche Mode sound” that I’ve come to know and love, and I think four songs embody that for me from Delta Machine:  “Welcome To My World”, “Broken”, “Soft Touch/Raw Nerve” and the newest single, “Soothe My Soul”.  Other than “Welcome To My World” each of these songs seem to reach back and bring a little of some old Depeche Mode forward.

When I heard the song and read the lyrics to “Welcome To My World,” all I could think was “How very ‘Fifty Shades’!”  In fact, I could actually hear that song on the soundtrack to a “Fifty Shades of Grey” movie.  Check out these lyrics below (uh, Christian Grey anyone?  I think so):

And if you stay awhile

I’ll penetrate your soul

I’ll bleed into your dreams

You’ll want to lose control

I’ll weep into your eyes

I’ll make your visions sing

I’ll open endless skies

And ride your broken wings

Welcome to my world

I’ve read a critique that the lyrics to “Welcome to my World” are a bit dramatic, but it fits right in with the music.  It has a slow and sexy drive, not at raw as “Wrong” from Sounds of the Universe, but just as groovy.  It has that beckoning and tempo building that I’ve come to like in their later endeavors.

As stated above, my third favorite song is “Broken” written by Dave Gahan and Kurt Uenala.  I feel like Dave has stepped up his writings skills and has developed a sound that fits right in with Depeche Mode’s constantly developing sound.  It’s very ethereal and quite lovely, giving me the same feeling musically as “Precious” from Playing the Angel.

“Soft Touch/Raw Nerve” comes in as a close second of my favorite songs.  This is one that will sound fantastic in concert because it was meant to be played in a large arena over booming speakers.  The lyrics are easy to sing aloud and will be fun to sing along with Dave live and should have fans dancing in the aisles in concert.

Finally, “Soothe My Soul” is the song that I have been waiting to hear from my Basildon boys.  This is Depeche Mode incarnate.  This is “I Feel You” mixed with “Personal Jesus”, “It’s No Good” and “World in My Eyes”.  This song sent shivers down my spine because I knew this was that new Depeche Mode song that I was looking forward to.  Great song, and great choice for the next single.  Oh, and have you seen the video?  It kind of reminds me a bit of some Recoil footage from “A Strange Hour in Budapest”.  Very sensual, check it out below.

This album has got me so excited for their concert in September (by the time this posts, I should already have tickets).  If/when I hear these four songs live, I will consider anything else as icing on a very damn good cake.