Dave Gahan — Hourglass

Go figure that after the well-deserved pomp and bombast of the last Depeche Mode tour, their singer would want to put out a solo album on a smaller, more self-reflective scale. On Gahan's second effort (2003's largely ignored Paper Monsters was the first), the only songs that would be at home on a Depeche album would be "Kingdom" and "Deeper And Deeper," both of which resonate with thumping electronic beats and dark, brutal sexuality. Unfortunately, Gahan is not quite as clever a wordsmith as DM songwriter Martin Gore, often relying more on the power of his indomitable pipes to make up for any unimaginative rhymes. But, holy shit, what pipes those are. Even 27 years after the advent of his band, Gahan's vocals — though rougher at times than in the old days — can still send chills down one's spine (or lower proximities, even). With Hourglass, Depeche fanatics have no fear of Gahan giving up his day job to pull the solo circuit full-time, but the album itself is solid enough to satisfy both DM lovers and anyone looking for an introspective comedown after a night on the dance floor.

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