An almost innocent Debut

It's amazing how professional the debut album of the then almost 20-year survivor and hero Electronic Depeche Mode sounds. Of course, the Vince Clarke's album and legacy of almost all contributed songs here, and you realize that too clearly the happier and unbeschwerterem basic tenor of most songs. Tracks like New Life ', Puppets', What's Your Name ', the massive hit, Just Can not Get Enough' or the debut single 'Dreaming Of Me' are danceable electronic pop party, but already boast the catchy melodies which should make the hits from Yazoo or Erasure later. Kraftwerk were certainly a big influence, but also Giorgio Moroder may Photographic 'easy to check how in the sounds used. Human League were in the same year, Dare! ' at the start and this album is like the DM debut not only sound but also the mood and - the only difference was that Human League already used at this time a little more opulent synth sounds than on their first albums.

The future mastermind Martin L. Gore may here also already contributing two songs - Tora !, Tora Tora !, '! and the instrumental, Big Muff '; especially the former can have a certain melancholy and menace detect, making it a first hint in the direction of the DM are increasingly hit by Clarke's departure.

Overall, an innocent danceable Teeniepop Electronic Album in the high-time of the Wave pop perfectly fit into it and that is remarkably well aged by the very catchy songs and the professional production. The atmospheric density and the deep and serious content of subsequent DM albums missing here but largely, and it was in retrospect probably Depeche Mode's greatest happiness that Clarke left the band shortly afterwards, because so was the way for the dark romance of Gore and Gahan, who sat in a niche in which even today is hardly room for another band.