HOURGLASS - DAVE GAHAN
On “Hourglass,” Dave Gahan wisely returns to the highly synthesized electronica of his main band Depeche Mode. Unlike his more guitar-centered solo debut, 2003’s “Paper Monsters,” the follow-up is on the whole dark and moody, filled with thick, dense beats and pulsating grooves. The ambient “Saw Something” is a haunting, echoey opener, followed by the glam rock-ish “Kingdom.” “21 Days” and “Use You” sound almost industrial, while the bass-heavy “Deeper and Deeper” is strikingly gritty and fierce. The best songs here evoke classic Depeche Mode, but the slower, sparse numbers lack a sense of urgency.
