Rock 'N' Mode

One of the common denominators among the members of the MOGpac is that we are drawn to new music by performers who have been at the game for the better part of twenty years. The music industry being what it is in 2003 - and excuse me for being that guy who believes there are fewer and fewer significant new artists being promoted in this age - much of our discussion revolves around performers from the 1980s and 1990s that are still releasing solid recordings.

There are risks involved in this practice, namely, severe disappointment (example: 2002's "Release" by the Pet Shop Boys.) But there are plenty of veterans out there writing material that is passable, charming, even brilliant ("Music of the Spheres" by Ian "Auto Tune" Brown.)

Dave Gahan, the Depeche Mode singer-turned-solo artist, is no slouch performer or singer. But "Paper Monsters" - his solo debut recorded while on hiatus from the Mode - proves that Dave can write a convincing pop album on his own terms. So convincing, in fact, that Martin Gore would be a dunderhead if he relegated Dave to the vocal booth on the next Mode record.

Based on "Papers Monsters" and Dave in concert - Matt and I had the pleasure of seeing him at the Hammerstein Ballroom yesterday, along with a severely intoxicated crowd - I would go so far as to argue that the solo Dave Gahan delivered what Depeche and bands of their ilk should have been doing for the past six years. The record is dark and intoxicating, the show is rowdy and defiant, and the whole package is cast in the form of stunning songwriting and production.

Dodgy lyrics aside, Dave on record is everything only hinted at in modern Depeche: brooding ("Hidden Houses"), romantic ("Stay"), sage ("Hold On.) It works alone with a bottle of red wine, or when your S.O. is in for the evening.

To stunning effect, "Paper Monsters" live is exactly what it should be: a rawk 'n' roll show. The uptempo numbers are booming, raucous affairs with Dave dominating the stage, while the album's moodier tracks are steamrollers, slowly building to a crescendo. Much like Al Jourgensen of Ministry, Dave's newfound physical and mental health grounded the show - he looks alive, youthful, energized - and his band feeds off the energy of a 41-year-old man convincingly acting 21 on stage.

To be noted: Dave even managed to enrich Mode standards - "Never Let Me Down Again," "A Question Of Time," "Personal Jesus" - that have had the life beaten out of them by retro radio, DJs and the band themselves. The dancefloor reinterpreted by a rock band. Synthpop this was not.

The watershed point of the show, however, was the second encore: Mode classics played on stand-up bass, acoustic 12-string guitar, acoustic drums and keyboards. Suddenly, "Enjoy The Silence" didn't sound dated anymore. Regardless of what you think of "Paper Monsters," Dave deserves credit for single-handedly reinvigorating his band's back catalogue.