About.com Rating

With nearly 30 years elapsing since their formation as a band, Depeche Mode are a band fully mature. This means there is no mistaking Sounds of the Universe as anything other than a Depeche Mode album. Dave Gahan's throaty croon, dark, brooding, electronic textures, and adult lyrical concerns all help define the band for anyone more than a casual listener. That maturity is in abundance here and likely to please all long-term fans.

However, despite stunning moments, there are few, if any true breakout surprises here to draw in new listeners.

Nearly 30 Years of Material to Reference and Draw Upon

With nearly 30 years of material behind them, it would be surprising for Depeche Mode to not drop references to their past as a group. These moments draw in long-term fans with a reassurance this is the recording act they know. That bass line opening "Peace" will take listeners clear back to the early 80's Construction Time Again. "Corrupt" is more reminiscent of the subtle swing that enlivened Violator's classic "Personal Jesus." The song "Fragile Tension" kicks off sounding like it could have come from the band's earliest days, but it is Dave Gahan's mature vocals that identify the song as contemporary Depeche Mode.

Stellar Peaks

There are powerful musical peaks here. The song "Wrong" leaps out with a power that is likely to put it in the category of the group's top classics. The band swaggers aggressively and will have you exclaiming the title along with them.

The lead vocals of Martin Gore on "Jezebel" provide a beautiful, fragile contrast to the throaty leads elsewhere by Dave Gahan. The polished, gentle clang of "Little Soul" does indeed sound possibly like the spirit of "People Are People" channeled through decades of honing and focusing to produce a spare, delicate gem.

Top Tracks on 'Sounds Of the Universe'

• "Wrong"
• "Little Soul"
• "Peace"
• "Jezebel"
• "Corrupt"

Solid But Not Spectacular - Still Worth Hearing

In the late 80's and early 90's Depeche Mode emerged as one of the world's top selling bands with their album Violator filled with powerful melodies that instantly grabbed the hearts and minds of listeners. Sounds Of the Universe is a much quieter, downbeat experience. It will reward long-term fans of the band as they listen to the album multiple times. However, listeners less familiar with Depeche Mode are not likely to find an abundance of material here to hook their interest. It is polished, at moments quite beautiful, but ultimately less than truly engaging.