Today I bought the latest Depeche Mode album “Memento Mori”. Which apparently means something like “Remember we all die.”

Suitably upbeat for a Depeche Mode Album certainly.

I have bought every DM album on the day of release since Violator back in 1990. I had bought their music before that, but never on release. I have seen them live 4 times I think as well.

I would therefore consider myself something of a fan of theirs. The thing is their last few albums have not been universally great. Certainly not actually bad or anything, just not as good as I would have hoped. The question is though is it simply that being human beings wot live on this planet have they just changed in a way that does not appeal to me?

Or have I changed? Or am I still the neurotic obsessive that I have always been? That’s a rhetorical question, thank you very much. I don’t need the internet carrying out a psychological analysis on me. Thanks all the same.

Probably the answer is that both are a bit true, and not at the same time. Life’s complicated isn’t it? Who knew?

I have listened to the new album, their first since Andy Fletch passed away, and do you know what? I like it. Quite a lot. Not the Fletch dying bit, I did not enjoy that at all.

It seems to be a grower as well, I have listened a couple of times now, which is not the easiest thing, as at the moment I do not have access to a CD player. Quaintly old fashioned I know, but I like a thing to hold. (Again no psychological analysis thank you.)

There are only really a couple of bands that I still listen to from youth, as I have diverse tastes in music to say the least. The reason that I mention this is Tears for Fears, another of my favourite bands. Almost every album that they have produced, either with both Roland and Curt, or Roland alone, on the first listen I have thought “Really?”

Then I listened again.

And again.

Slowly the depth and complexity of the music works its way into my brain and tickles it in a way that I seem to find quite pleasing. Every one. The first time that I listened to Songs from The Big Chair I was aghast, where were all the synths and angst from The Hurting? This seemed to be full of pomp and drama.

Why am I mentioning TFF in a DM blog post? Mainly because Memento Mori has me feeling that this might be like that. As I listen to it in more depth, the more that reveals itself. This is not something that you can always say about DM, unless you mean Martin Gore as he seems to quite like revealing himself.

Two full listens in and I am enjoying some of the tracks are great deal, others are a bit of a dirge but I am willing to be beguiled by their beauty in time. Or not.

To be fair, I only really started to like Personal Jesus after I had seen it performed live. Several thousand people singing “Reach out and touch Faith” is quite a feeling.

I am very unlikely to see them on this tour, as the cost is prohibitive. Given their history with touring I do not really begrudge them not doing a massive tour. I would rather I could not see them and they lived happily for another day. I am fine with that.

Seems that I have changed as well. Hopefully some for the better as I must remember that I, too, will die.