DEPECHE MODE – SPEAK & SPELL (1981)

Album Review from AlohaPopRock-AlohaCriticon

Vince Clarke was still leading Depeche Mode when the britanic band debuted in the early 80’s with this interesting and catchy LP. Sounds new wave and synthpop with influences from german electronic (Kraftwerk) and disco europop (italo disco, ABBA).

The album includes the hit song Just Can’t Get Enough, with Dave Gahan singing that he doesn’t have enough… getting hotter, more and more ardent with his girlfriend. It’s a classic synthpop.

This is not the only masterpiece written by Clarke, who also give us other great songs like New Life, story of meeting with a mysterious stranger in shadowy streets influenced by the aforementioned Kraftwerk, or I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead, an orgy of bubbly synthesizers.

Martin Gore wrote two songs, Tora! Tora! Tora!, with use of theremin and a darker tone than Clarke’s songs, and the monotonous instrumental Big Stuff. The wonderful single Dreaming Of Me didn’t originally appeared on the vinyl.

Click here to read the AlohaPopRock-AlohaCriticon Review in spanish