Caught in the Carousel

Recoil

Subhuman
Mute

Recoil

Alan Wilder officially formed Recoil during his tenure with Depeche Mode in 1985, but it wasn't until his departure ten years later that the group began to dole out albums instead of demos. There is an almost axiomatic observation that can be made about solo albums and side projects of Depeche Mode members; they're mostly shit. Gahan's record was embarrassingly penned and Gore's consisted of brackish, uninventive covers of Eno, Cave, Iggy and Reed. Wilder evades this, perhaps narrowly, by employing a great deal of texture, found sounds and synthetic percussion. I would hesitate to call it a resounding success, but it's certainly an improvement over the past few years of Depeche Mode (Wilder bowed out as the boat began to sink, the first cracks in the hull appearing sporadically throughout Songs of Faith and Devotion, causing everything to capsize later with Ultra and Exciter). "Prey" sounds like a slightly swanky, gimme-that-ol'-timey blues revival with incensed organ spurts that mime the amyl nitrate huffs of Frank Booth. Later everything in the song comes to a stall, the pace slides and everything runs backwards. "Allelujah" is great, but is somewhat sullied and stained by a whimpering female vocal (something like a less artful and controlled Julee Cruise). "5000 Years" has a drunken, verticilate swaddle of horn and harmonica, backed by a militant snare and the puttering drone of synthesized helicopter blades. There seems to be a theme among the tracks, but I lack the subtlety or depth of perception to really explain it. The repulsively plastic female vocals return on "Intruders," which once again mires an otherwise great track (one which would really benefit without them). Maybe it's a bit too oafish, too much at one time, but it's an interesting companion piece to the last Depeche Mode album (for purposes of stern, priggish comparison).

--Brandon DiSabatino