Dave Gahan - Hourglass

Second solo outing sees Gahan snuggle up to the Depeche sound

Declaring that this more electronic second solo offering is closer than ever to the sound of Gahan’s full-time band Depeche Mode is an understatement, but no coincidence. Hourglass has been co-produced and performed with DM’s touring musicians, Andrew Phillpott and Christian Eigner, who also co-wrote two tracks on DM’s 2005 album Playing The Angel with Gahan, including the single Suffer Well. That said, the similarity is no bad thing at all, from the orchestral, haunting opener Saw Something, to the pulsating sleazy thump of first single Kingdom, and the gothic-tinged anthemic chorus of A Little Lie, all could be mistaken for a Depeche Mode classic. Deeper & Deeper is gritty, with a roaring bassline and Gahan’s animalistic scream all over it, while closing track Down takes a sombre turn, the chorus reflecting on his past troubles: “Down on the ground/It’s where I’m bound”. The twang of guitars and atmospheric electronics make Down strangely uplifting, and unequalled by the previous nine songs. Whether mirroring the DM sound is the result Gahan was after is another matter, but Hourglass seems to reflect a man that has faced his demons and come out the other side, and at the same time proved he’s up there with bandmate Martin Gore when it comes to songwriting credibility.

Mute | STUMM 288

Reviewed by Keri Kennedy
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