8 -The i~o D mmer Weedy-Wedesday, Junes, 1993
'Show me a hero and I will write you a
tragedy.'
- F. Scott FRtzgerald
WLI ii I 6' -
Synth-pop strikes back
Depeche Mode and New Order return with new recordings
I
By SCOTT STERLING
You can't help but stare. It's more
hypnotizing than an auto accident or a
burning building.
No, nothing commands rubber-
necked gawking like a wedding. Such
a union of two souls (under the auspi-
cious name of love) in the face of the
seemingly bleak reality of our sur-
roundings is enough to stop anyone in
theirtracks.Weddingsinspirejealousy,
aweandevennostalgiaforatime when
they weren't such a sideshow spec-
tacle.
These questions of life, love and
the pursuit of true happiness (through
those dubious human characteristics
suchasoptimismandredemption) are
the driving themes behind the latest
releases by New Order and Depeche
Mode,"Republic"and"SongsofFaith
and Devotion," respectively.
WhenDaveGahanmoans, "Ihave
to believe that sin can make a better
man,"on "One Caress,"he could very
wellbe stating the thesis for"Songs of
Faith and Devotion." This album is
one big prayer of forgiveness for past
sins. But unlike many pop acts that
pull the redemption move, Depeche
Mode harbors no regrets for those
sins. Supposedly a chronicle of
Gahan'smessy trip through substance
addiction and subsequent divorce,
Martin Gore's lyrics on "Songs ..."
offer no apologies for any carnal trans-
gressions. "You'll stumble in my foot-
steps...If youtry walkinginmyshoes,"
scolds Gahan during "Walking in My
Shoes," an electro-tribal workout.
Gore, always one to find the per-
verse in the pure and vice versa, takes a
very new approach on "Songs ..." to
the time-worn theme of love. On "Ju-
das,"he dares alover to"Open yourself
up for me, risk your health for me
(italics mine), if you want my love." It
may seem extreme, but in the AIDS-
ridden 1990s,the oncesimple actofsex
has become the ultimate act of trust
between two people.
The hushed, reverent vibe of their
last two studio discs ("Music For The
Masses,""Violator")hasbeenreplaced
this time out by sordid and sonic bom-
bast. "Songs ..." seethes with tension
and permeates with had, half-man/
half-machine grooves on every track.
Songs like "One Caress" and "I
Feel You" feature linear guitar histri-
onics that give the impression that the
Modesters gave U2's "Achtung Baby"
more than a cursory listen. The grind-
ing techno blues of "Get Right With
Me" and the driving ambiance of
"Higher Love"are quitereminiscent of
"Achtung Baby" and its conglomera-
tionof"traditional"and computer-gen-
erated rhythms.
So maybe the designer Anton
Corbijn imagery, redemption via sin
lyrics and guitar-saturated crunch of
this outing is more than a tad predict-
able. These surface aesthetics are very
much what Depeche Mode is all about
- highly stylized electronic soul mu-
sic for cynical,anti-grange denizens of
the Nintendo generation.
The ambiguous double entendres
New uruer resurrects itser witn its latest release, -nepublc.
on "Songs of Faith and Devotion" are
nowhere to be found on New Order's
"Republic." Bernard Sumner (the
U.K.'s most poignant and sardonic
pop songwriter next to the Pet Shop
Boys' Neil Tennant) paints a much
moredirectandblunt(ifnotsomewhat
naive)picture of what it takes to reach
that ever-elusive state of happiness.
"I would like a place I could call
my own," confesses Sumner on "Re-
gret," and with that blank-faced deliv-
ery, I suppose you've gotta believe
him. Instead of walking through the
valley of the shadow of death to reach
the soul-cleansed promised land (a la
Depeche Mode), to Barney & Co. it's
just a simple act of faith, of just doing
it.
On "Everyone Everywhere,"
Sumner even smiles in the face of
poverty through a lover's kiss, be-
cause, "We know love is real" (Is this
really the guy that played guitaron Joy
Division's "Isolation"?).
Behind these optimistic musings
ongettinghappy,NewOrderlaysdown
their trademark (and franldy quite
static)Euro-funkdancemusic.Smooth,
sequencedsynthsandpercolatingdrum
programsmeshintooneseamlesselec-
tronic groove. Peter Hook's distinctive
high-end melodic bass is still intact,
andStephentHague'sproductioniscrisp
and thick. Songs like "World" and
"Liar" even conjure images of latter-
day ABC, with their background har-
monies and happy-faced rhythms.
"Spooky" and "Chemical" are aimed
at the dance-club kids, and make the
most of their frantic, 130+ bpm's.
Bothof thesediscsrevelin thekind
of shameless synth-pop not heard in
these parts since the mid-'80s. With
most electro-acts either doing the NIN
thang and getting as"hard"as possible,
or succumbing to low-rent takes on
"rave" music, "Republic" and
"Songs..." are a welcome breath of
fresh air. Still, suchblatantly AC-pow-
eredpopishopelessly outofvogue.But
in a time where everyone either sounds
like Alice In Chains or the Grateful
Dead...
Ninetiesmusicfor'90speople.Deal
with it.
0
"
DM now seeks redemption for wearing this crap back in the'80s.
Ann Arbor Civic Theatre MainStage Productions
'ASTER HAROLD"
IA6 ...and the boys
by Athol Fugard
directed by Conrad Mason
Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre
June 9-12, 1993 at 8 p.m. M; .r y
Saturday matinee at 2 p.m.
For tickets, call 971-AACT
Beginning June 7, call 763-1085
CNA
GARDEN
Restaurant
Szechuan, Hunan, & Peking Cuisine
15% OFF
Dinner and Carry-Out Menu
OFFER EXPIRES JUNE 30,1993
Reservations 971-0970
3035 Washtenaw, Ann Arbor
Open Mon.-Thur. 11:30-10, Fri. 11:30-11,
Y9 Sat. Noon-11, Sun. Noon-10
Free Parkin !
Health Foods
'Sports
nutrition
$'Herbs
*Vitamins
*Cosmetics
.Books
*Free classes
1677 Plymouth Rd. " 665-7688
Located in the Courtyard Shops at
North Campus Plaza