Depeche Mode’s 14th album may not be a direct rebuttal to the white US nationalist Richard Spencer’s WTF assertion that Depeche were “the official band of the alt-right” – but it’s as good as. By the time cosseted arena bands reach their 37th year, their need to engage with the real world is moot, but here’s Martin Gore – DepMo’s chief songwriter – lambasting greedy corporations (Poorman), asking where the revolution is coming from, insisting on a policy of truth. The main drawback is that hip producer James Ford isn’t allowed to conjure up as much newfangled ju-ju as Spirit could stand. Songs like So Much Love could come from any era.
