Depeche Mode’s newest release, Sounds of the Universe, presents a well-crafted balance between electro-pop and savvy guitar tech. It travels far enough into new territory that traces of the band’s earlier sound can be viewed more as pleasant nostalgia than desperate pandering.

For Sounds, producer Ben Hillier, who collaborated with the group on their previous release, Playing the Angel, joined the band in the studio. But while Angel featured guitarist Martin Gore significantly more than previous albums, they decided to stray from that aesthetic for a more synthesizer-based approach on Sounds. Keyboard player Andrew Fletcher stated in a Paste Magazine interview that lead songwriter Martin Gore began addictively buying synthesizers off EBay between the release of 2005’s Playing the Angel and the recording of Sounds. The result is an album filled with big synthesized sounds, which are offset by artful guitar work.

The first three tracks really get to the heart of what the album is about with an adept use of dynamics. Pulsating beats and catchy syncopations collapse into vast panoramas of sound textured with guitar arpeggios and delicate drumming. In creating such a sonic landscape, Depeche Mode stepped out to create something fresh and new without entirely abandoning their vintage and classic ‘80s pop sound.

“In Chains” opens the album with an array of synthesizers that strangely resembles an electronic orchestra tuning up before a performance. On the track “Hole to Feed,” lead singer Dave Gahan croons from the void, “words can leave you broken inside/you’ll have to decide…” to which the band answers with thumping syncopation that brings the song back to its verse until Gore replies with a colorful guitar counterpoint. “Fragile Tension” offers a more traditional ‘80s pop beat, and “In Sympathy” features gentle guitar that provides additional support to a full-bodied expanse of electronics.

Sounds Of The Universe is new and old Depeche Mode finding a reconciliation of sorts. It displays genuine moments of triumph, amidst constantly rebellious, and gently obstructive synth-noise. Labeling the album as a throwback to previous years or as something entirely new altogether would be both equally wrong. Instead Depeche Mode has created a clever piece of work that sounds familiar without losing its novelty.

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Catch Depeche Mode August 7-9 headlining Lollapalooza 2009 in Chicago’s Grant Park! For tickets, click here.
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