"Wasted feelings, broken meanings. Time is fleeting, see what it brings..."
This is my Depeche confessional - a Depechional, if you will - I was not necessarily excited for "Ghosts Again", the new single by Depeche Mode from the upcoming "Memento Mori" album.
"Hellos, goodbyes, a thousand midnights. Lost in sleepless lullabies..."
I'll be honest, the passing of Andrew "Fletch" Fletcher straight up knocked the wind out of my sails and I wasn't sure I even wanted DM to continue. How can you remain whole when the glue that holds your pieces together loses its grip and is no longer there?
"Heaven's dreaming, thoughtless thoughts my friends. We know we'll be ghosts again..."
When the brief snippet of the song was released, I wasn't wowed. I actually found it kind of blah and uninspired. I didn't listen to any of the countless brief snippet remixes because a) Why would I want to listen to a bit of music I wasn't into on repeat; and b) I didn't want to get so annoyed with just that one little bit that I'd be turned off the song as a whole once we could listen to it in full.
"Sunday's shining, silver linings. Weightless hours, all my flowers..."
Personally, there has been a lot going on in my world. A lot of stress. A struggle to survive. I did not have it in me to jump at the exact moment the song and video were going to be released. I needed to find the right headspace to listen. I needed to be able to fully listen, take it in, and, if need be, cry. Cry for Andy being gone. Cry for Dave and Martin coming back. Cry for a new volume in the Depeche Mode lyrical soundtrack of my life.
"A place to hide the tears that you cried. Everybody says goodbye..."
I was finally able to hear the song. Then I was finally able to LISTEN to the song.
Lyrically it is simple and poetic. It has depth and meaning, but it lies under that tender blanket of simplicity and poetry.
Musically it hints at the Violator era melodies and mid-2000s electronica beats. It feels familiar and comfortable. And I think that's what both they needed and we needed.
Vocally, for me, this is the strongest and clearest I've heard Dave's vocals since the pre-2000s. There isn't the gritty, growly, over-singing that's been a hallmark of recent releases. Again, takes me back to the Violator era and the clean, melodic tones and sounds that are familiar and comfortable. Will the feelings, emotions, and sounds of this song carry throughout the whole of "Memento Mori"? We'll find out on March 24th. Until then...
"Faith is sleeping. Lovers in the end. Whisper we'll be ghosts again."
