An immense departure from the gothic-synth pop and aggressive, arena electro-rock of their earlier work, 2001's Exciter found Depeche Mode (principle songwriter Martin Gore, vocalist Dave Gahan, and sometimes keyboardist Andy Fletcher) exercising a more tender, mature side of themselves. Working almost entirely with digital synthesizers and a more modern, crisp production style, the trio produced an intimate, underappreciated gem that stands as one of the more unique releases of their career.

Following the release of 1997's gloomy Ultra, Martin Gore found himself plagued by a crippling case of writer's block, bored and uninspired by the endless recording/touring cycle he'd been running through since original songwriter Vince Clarke's departure in 1981. At the behest of band manager Daniel Miller, Martin teamed up with musicians Gareth Jones and Paul Freegard; the trio of writers bounced ideas and collaborated in a number of brainstorming sessions that re-engaged Martin's creative juices. Dave Gahan (in the early stages of writing what would eventually become his debut solo release, Paper Monsters) was soon brought in to sing over the early demos. Looking for a fresh new sound, the group hired LFO frontman and recent Björk producer Mark Bell to helm the recording sessions. His lush and highly nuanced electronic production style gives Exciter its emotional, intimate sound-- worlds away from the industrial stomp of their previous album.

The album opens with first single "Dream On", a minimalist acoustic guitar-driven number meant to set the tone of the record: mellow, restrained, and romantic. The ambient keyboards and synthetic textures of "Shine" and "When The Body Speaks" are juxtaposed with the buzzing, glamoramic pomp of "The Dead Of Night" and club-ready dance anthem "I Feel Loved". Elsewhere, Dave Gahan gives a shiver-inducing performance on the swooning ballad "Freelove" and hushed, tender lullable of "Goodnight Lovers". Martin takes lead vocals on the bubbling, synthesizer driven "Comatose" and bluesy gospel of "Breathe". The brief instrumentals "Lovetheme" and "Easy Tiger" give the album a spacious, airy sense of atmosphere that culminates in the slow burning "I Am You", alternately creeping and fiercely sensual.

2005's Playing The Angel would return the group to their arena-ready, gritty analogue sound, but on Exciter, Depeche Mode embraced modern electronic music and, in the process, finally received the hard-earned critical praise and respect that had eluded them throughout their long and fan-friendly career. Uniquely conceived and produced, it's an underappreciated lost classic of the last decade that deserves a second (and third, fourth, fifth, etc!) listen.

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Brett Warner