Catching Up With Depeche Mode
A singles collection chronicling the band's first five years,Catching Up with Depeche Modeis the perfect primer for would-be fans. The first three tracks feature Vince Clarke's inimitable brand of bubble-gum synth pop, brimming with catchy counterpoint and wonderfully predictable chord progressions. The remaining songs chart Martin Gore's evolution as a composer, his earlier Clarke-esque material gradually transforming into the darker, noisier synth works that characterized mid-to-late-'80s Depeche Mode. The band's other defining elements, i.e. Gore's fragile vocals contrasted with David Gahan's resonant baritone are well represented, although the hits "Everything Counts" and "People are People" are notably absent.--Michael A. Massa