The hottest news in world music – the fifteenth studio album of the legendary British group “Depeche Mode” (its predecessor “Spirit” was released six years ago), which was released last weekend, is the first since the death of “DM” co-founder Andrew Fletcher. The hype about this work was huge, and our “DM” fans also gathered at “DM Bar Riga” in Old Riga to listen to (and probably wash) “Memento Mori” together.
The new album includes a dozen compositions written by Martin Lee Gore and produced by James Ford. Its first single “Ghosts Again” reached 1.3 million (!) views on the Internet platform “YouTube” in less than a day, but now it has already collected 11 (!) million views, and that’s only in about a month! There is no doubt that the commercial indicators of the entire album will also skyrocket and then into space, even despite the fact that the most prestigious music publications have mostly envied it one star.
Martin Lee Gore: “We started working on this project at the beginning of the pandemic, and its theme is inspired by that time. After Andy Fletcher’s passing, we decided to continue because we’re sure he would have wanted to, and that really gave the project a special meaning.” Dave Gahan echoes: “Andy would have loved the new album. We are happy to share it [ar klausītājiem]and we can’t wait to present it “live” as well.”
It should be reminded that with the release of the album “Depeche Mode” is going on its nineteenth world tour, playing both solo concerts and participating in festivals. A total of 45 concerts will be played, one of which will also take place right here in Tallinn – on August 6.
PAR. Fans of “DM” all over the world have been actively discussing the qualities of the new album on their opinion exchange sites, and anyone with an increased interest in this topic can leaf through the reviews of our own fans of this group on social networks. But in short – it is a real pleasure that “Depeche Mode” still does not “halt” and does not release the album only after the release with the thought “we will play something for you, but you will listen to it, buy it and come to the concerts”. Has both the appropriate vibe and the special “DM” handwriting. As for the songs, then, of course, “Ghost Again” should be highlighted, although according to the overall mood, it even falls out of the album’s rather depressing context. Also – the “cosmic” introductory song of the album “My Cosmos Is Mine”, the perfectly electronic “My Favorite Stranger” and the hypnotic “Never Let Me Go”, “People Are Good” and the melodic “Always You” are also able to catch something. Many fans also note the only piece sung by Gore on this album, “Soul With Me”, but the reviewer would not agree with this opinion.
AGAINST. Of course, one can debate ad nauseam whether “DM” was better in the days of “Construction Time Again”, “Black Celebration” or “Music For The Masses” (this is reviewer’s No.1!), maybe “Violator”, “Ultra” or In the years of “Exciter”, but maybe “Delta Machine” and “Spirit” are the most mature albums, you can think that “DM” without Alan Wilder, maybe also Fletcher, is no longer the same, etc., etc. – all this could be so and could not be, but it doesn’t matter because it is 2023. In the case of “Memento Mori”, the only thing that bothers me is the overly dark mood and the relatively small proportion of excellent pieces – that’s all. This event is a bit boring.
