Sounds of the Universe (2009)

Image credit: Anton Corbijn

United We Stand: Depeche Mode

Even those born in a bat cave would have a tough time sustaining the level of broody nocturnal drama that England's dark lords of dance-rock have maintained for nearly 30 years. Somehow, though, on Sounds of the Universe they still sound genuinely inspired, especially on tracks like the fragile ''In Sympathy'' and the hypnotic ''Peace.'' Lead single ''Wrong'' revisits classic black-heart Mode, but there's something gentler here, too — not so much a softening as a graceful evolution. B+

Download This: Listen to the song ''Wrong'' on last.fm

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