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The Onion (A.V. Club)

With Universe and 2005’s "Playing The Angel," Depeche Mode has created back-to-back albums compelling enough to stand up to its past best.

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Entertainment Weekly

Somehow, though, on Sounds of the Universe they still sound genuinely inspired.

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Dot Music

Sounds Of The Universe also happens to throb with sonic originality and dark, complex humanity, and is a fine addition to one of the richest, most intriguing back catalogues in pop.

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Boston Globe

Its 12th full-length album fits neatly into its discography while sounding contemporary and building on the trio's lean electro-rock.

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musicOMH.com

Once again the theme of emotional cleansing runs through much of the lyrics, though this particular well of inspiration has not yet run dry.

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All Music Guide

On the whole, Sounds of the Universe is a grower, relying on a few listens to fully take effect, but when it does, it shows Depeche Mode are still able to combine pop-hook accessibility and their own take on "roots" music for an electronic age with sonic experimentation and recombination.

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Drowned In Sound

Sounds Of The Universe arguably goes on for a bit too long--it doesn't help that closer 'Corrupt' is throwbackish bobbins--and it certainly could have done without token Gore vocal ‘Jezebel’. But other than that it’s just a damn fine record, possessed of the kind of unshowy high quality the Basildon band have seemingly actively opposed in the past.

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NOW Magazine

Like 2005’s pleasantly surprising "Playing The Angel," Sounds Of The Universe, their 12th album, is a triumph, though more cunning in its method.

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Billboard

After nearly 30 years, the trio--now comprising Gore, Dave Gahan and Andrew Fletcher--still imbue every aspect of its 12th studio album, Sounds of the Universe, with imagery and sonic flourishes that make its music fresh and familiar.

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Uncut

Sounds Of The Universe is Depeche's most tune-packed and sonically adventurous album for over a decade. [May 2009, p.82]

Los Angeles Times

That bleak tone is frequently recaptured on their newest release, Sounds of the Universe, beginning with 'In Chains,' a brooding seven-minute romantic melodrama that hums and crackles with electronics as singer Dave Gahan seethes.

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Hartford Courant

It plays like a late-career recap of all that's come before, referencing both the bubblegum synth-pop of its early days and the self-conscious black-leather sensuality of its 1987-1993 creative peak.

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Blender

You could roll your eyes and complain that these guys are still pimping teen angst in middle age, but really it sounds more like it’s matured into the longest-running mid-life crisis ever--30 years and counting.

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New Musical Express

So the album doesn’t sound old but there’s a refreshing warmth emanating from these fizzing and burbling Moogs and Parker Steinway keyboards.

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Delusions of Adequacy

While it may lack the aggressive and occasionally caustic momentum of "Playing The Angel," Sounds Of The Universe succeeds primarily because of its ability to make a nostalgic nod to past successes while still looking to the future.

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Under The Radar

After all these years it's good to hear Depeche Mode attempting, and for the most part succeeding, at staying relevant with age. [Spring 2009, p.65]

Urb

Depeche Mode have produced another album fit to fill headphones and stadiums, leaning more towards a muted commercial than perverted side, but for 30-year veterans there’s really nothing wrong with that.

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Pitchfork

Ending with a brief, queasy reprise tease of 'Wrong,' Sounds of the Universe concludes anticlimactically, an echo of its promising start.

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Mojo

Even where Sounds Of The Universe resembles a self-help manual, it does so with commanding tunes and a ring of truth. [May 2009, p.102]

Observer Music Monthly

They might be no longer going through the motions, but those moves seem awfully familiar.

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Spin

Sounds of the Universe comes on a bit softer, with less industrial guitar clang and more of chief songwriter Martin Gore's dreamy atmospherics.

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The Guardian

A less then stellar return, then, but a welcome one nevertheless.

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Slant Magazine

They might not be affecting musical culture the way they did in their prime, but at least half of their latest effort is as strong as anything they've written.

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Q Magazine

It's hard not to feel disappointed by the sense that a band who have raised their game so many times have nowhere new to go. [May 2009, p.114]

Rolling Stone

The result sounds like a time machine back to the Eighties.

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PopMatters

They tempt us with a strong first half and then dump us in a collection of tossed off b-sides.

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The New York Times

Even at its most imaginative, this is seamless Depeche Mode filler, music that could be made by any number of acolytes.

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Austin Chronicle

Dave Gahan's songwriting has improved since 2007's solo "Hourglass," but this Sounds like a mundane midlife crisis.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 54 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

DexStud gave it an8:
Very strong, solid album from a classic band. After listening to singles: Wrong and Peace proves how infinitely creative Depeche Mode can be.

Bert E. gave it an8:
I like the return to the analog synths and the return of melody to the songs. Playing the Angel was a little cold in that respect.

Jonas Y. gave it a10:
WOW! GREAT ALBUM .. BEST PURCHASE EVER.. I agree absolute with the title sounds of the UNIVERSE.. it defines it unfiltered a true crowdpleaser , heavenly... pick this badboy up today.

Joseph A. gave it an8:
Grower, not a shower. A couple of listens reveals that the album is pretty much solid straight through. Nice sound collages, beats, lyrics, production and performances. It's well paced as well. I agree, as most people mention, that it's a return to pre-"Songs Of Faith & Devotion" form, but the band seems to utilize what they've learned post "Violator" to enhance that return, creating something reminiscent but at the same time very new. In no way is it as heavy as "Playing The Angel" or as ambient as "Exciter", indeed, it's a well crafted and open minded approach to a career summary. I think it's a great album. Nicely done, I love it. Some personal favorites: In Chains Wrong Fragile Tension Come Back Perfect Miles Away.

Robert G. gave it an8:
I'm very happy with this album and prefer it to Playing the Angel, which i felt was too noisy and industrial. Jezebel and the interlude are pretty bad. Everything else is very solid and varied in feel and tone. My favorite album since Ultra which I preferred to SOFAD. Exciter was horrendous.

Lino G. gave it a9:
Any Depeche Mode follower would be foolish to pass on this wonderful album. From second one to the the album's close, this is a great listening experience. This is Depeche Mode at their best, and I'm thrilled to have embarked on this, their latest journey.

Bit Burn gave it an8:
Okay so it's not Violator but it's a darn good effort nonetheless. It sounds like the DM we love, lots of synth, great vocals, dark, catchy, modern. My favorite track are "Come Back", "In Sympathy" and "Fragile Tension".

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Sounds Of The Universe

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