“Black and Blue Again” is a hazy, bluesy sounding cut that takes the minimalist approach until breaking out into a brilliant cacophony of sounds while Dave growls “You said I’m not very nice./You see I’m not very nice.” And despite all the evils and bitterness mentioned on the album, “Stay” is by far the saddest track, and if it doesn’t at least bring a tear to your eye, you must be part of the Borg. It’s heavy, electronic blues groove, coupled with a shockingly good use of a harmonica in a rock song make it one of the standout tracks. But after three slow, sad, and emotive tracks, “Bottle Living” makes sure the listener stays awake by delivering a rage filled boot to the face. His singing is as good as ever, filled with sentiment in all the right places. “Hold On” and “A Little Piece” continue the theme, as Gahan recounts tales of fighting demons and the stark loneliness alcholism brings with it. Dave’s gasp of air at the end of this track is particularly unsettling, representing the moment he suddenly came back to life after lying (quite literally) dead for a few minutes. The lyrics aren’t exactly high-class poetry, but are instead blunt, most of the time very gloomy, getting directly to the point and not skirting around anything. “Dirty Sticky Floor”, and just about all of the songs on Paper Monsters deal with Dave’s well-known problems with booze and drugs. The album begins and immediately dumps the listener into the dark, cold, rain soaked alleys of the songwriter’s mind. I suppose the problem with that is you probably won’t like Dave Gahan’s solo work if you don’t already have a tolerance for Depeche Mode. That’s not watered down keep in mind… my opinion is that Paper Monsters is a rougher, low key translation of DM with a raw electronic sheen. Being the experienced musician and songwriter that Dave is, the album has no trouble finding it’s identity, which is almost like a stripped down version of Depeche Mode’s music. Paper Monsters is Dave Gahan’s solo debut. Besides, an album with ‘monsters’ in the title is bound to be bustling with scariness, right? We’ll find out what Bela Lugosi thinks later… While it doesn't shy away from recalling his past demons, Paper Monsters ultimately points toward his optimism for the future.Someone wanted me to review a Depeche Mode album, but this will have to do for now. Paper Monsters is a competent solo debut, and although it doesn't stray too far from the Depeche mold, Gahan does manage to put his own stamp on the songs. They, along with producer Ken Thomas ( Sigur Rós), began shaping Gahan's ideas into a mix of swampy blues-injected rock, slick urban electronica, and atmospheric balladry. Initially shy and even a bit scared, it wasn't until he began jamming with friend and multi-instrumentalist Knox Chandler that he gained the confidence he needed to get serious about releasing an album of his own material. Additionally, "Hidden Houses" offers his most naked moment on the album: "Inside each man is a frightened lamb who hides beneath the sheets/Waiting for a chance to just be free." Having toyed with the idea of releasing a solo album ever since Depeche Mode released Exciter, Gahan approached the project slowly. On "I Need You" and "Hidden Houses," Gahan sounds as though he could be addressing all of his subjects at once. "Hold On" and "A Little Piece" each offer a glimpse into Gahan's reconciliations with a higher power, while "Bitter Apple," "Black and Blue Again," and "Goodbye" shed light on his relationships, both bad and good. As the titles suggest, "Dirty Sticky Floors" and "Bottle Living" are glam-induced snapshots of Gahan's days spent at rock-bottom. While the lyrics on Paper Monsters lack some of the depth and clever irony associated with those of bandmate Martin Gore, Gahan masters innuendo, often hiding the true identities of his subjects. Following Gahan's journey through both physical and mental rehabilitation, Paper Monsters is what many would expect - a collection of material culled from his addictions, failed relationships, and spiritual rebirth. As his addictions worsened, Gahan lost his friends, lost himself, and for a few short minutes, lost his life before paramedics revived him after an all-night drug binge. When Depeche Mode regrouped to record Songs of Faith & Devotion, Gahan had transformed himself into the perennial junkie. By the early '90s, however, Gahan had moved to L.A., gotten hooked on heroin and booze, and immersed himself in the grunge scene. Although the group often flirted with gloomy overtones throughout their career, they maintained a largely squeaky-clean image. As the lead vocalist for Depeche Mode, Dave Gahan appeared to be far removed from the common trappings of rock & roll stardom.
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