From time to time we invite befriended artists to reflect on records that have significantly shaped their understanding of music as such. Having just released his eighth studio album with Strand Of Oaks, frontman Tim Showalter felt it too difficult a task pinning down his love for just one specific record and instead decided to muse on the world-building virtue several albums have for him – and pleads a strong case for appreciating albums as a whole.
Following a six-year long gap without new music and the traumatic loss of a band member, iconic dark wave pop veterans Depeche Mode enter their fifth decade as recording artists with a true testament of strength. However, one can’t help but wonder whether this is actually the end of their unique journey. Lifelong Depeche Mode fan Norman Fleischer takes a closer look at the band’s 15th studio album and the circumstances that come with its release.
