Dave Gahan’s fourth album away from the Depeche Mode mothership finds him once again working with British duo Soulsavers, following their well-received 2012 collaboration The Light the Dead See. Pleasingly, there’s no great departure in style: Gahan’s distinctive baritone takes centre stage, set against a backdrop of slow, brooding instrumentation that’s embellished with hints of gospel and blues. It’s not quite as lyrically bleak as its predecessor, however – even though You Owe Me seems to be about one of Gahan’s numerous brushes with the grim reaper, it’s very much a positive experience (“Angels are singing/It’s a beautiful sound”). On opener Shine he manages to sound almost cheerful. Powerful and affecting, this is as good as anything Gahan has done in the last 25 years.
