Some Great Reward

The first shoots of Depeche Mode’s stadium future appear on their fourth album. The adventurous production leaves room for strong melodies, and Martin Gore’s lyrical depth continues to grow. “People Are People” and “Master and Servant” finesse the industrial pop of 1983’s <i>Construction Time Again</i>, injecting better hooks and dance-floor beats. However, the leap in songwriting is most pronounced on aching, sting-in-the-tail piano ballad “Somebody” and the religious scepticism of “Blasphemous Rumours”, where mournful strings and unsettling samples swirl towards a bittersweet chorus.