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Rating:
THE REVIEW
I love Dave Gahan: he possesses a spellbinding voice, an elegance that captivates, and exudes charm from every pore… I believe this explains why "Paper Monsters" disappointed me. At the beginning, when we heard him complaining in interviews, we couldn't help but be on his side: "let the man write some damn songs!" So Dave embarked on a solo record…
If only he hadn't!!
The album opens with "Dirty Sticky Floors", a single that we almost began to love after listening to it so much… Unfortunately, the album soon reveals its syrupy, slow, and repetitive nature: for instance, I refer you to "A Little Piece", "I Need You", "She Said" and especially "Stay", where a lullaby-like chorus drills into our brains for 4-5 minutes… But let's focus on the (few) noteworthy tracks: "Bottle Living", for example. It's basically the reason I bought the album... in fact, the remix of this song (I don't remember by whom: forgive me!) was really pleasant, which stands out much less in the original! If I wanted, I could also pause for a moment on "Hidden Houses": a calm song, a bit of an happy hour vibe… "Black And Blue" is my favorite song on the album.. of course even here we aren't up to Depeche levels, but Dave tries hard, his voice is intense, and the lyrics are among the least sugary..
It then becomes interesting to make a comparison between "Paper Monsters" and the three songs written by Dave in "Playing The Angel"… We are forced to admit that in the latest Depeche work the quality is better and "I Want It All" is the only track that suffers from monotony… We therefore thank Martin and Andy who manage to improve with some nice chords songs that make us shout: "If Martin has always written the lyrics himself, there must have been a good reason!".
The point is, I repeat, that I love Dave Gahan and consequently expect a lot from him.
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Summary by Bot
The reviewer admires Dave Gahan's vocal talent and charm but found his solo album Paper Monsters disappointing. While some tracks like "Dirty Sticky Floors" and "Black And Blue" show promise, much of the album is criticized as slow, syrupy, and repetitive. The reviewer suggests that the quality of Gahan's solo work doesn't match his contributions to Depeche Mode. The album, though started with potential, ultimately fails to meet the high expectations set by his band work.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Dave Gahan
Dave Gahan is the British lead singer of Depeche Mode and a solo artist known for his baritone voice and magnetic stage presence. He launched his solo career with Paper Monsters (2003) and Hourglass (2007), and later released collaborative albums with Soulsavers, including Angels & Ghosts (2015) and Imposter (2021).06 Reviews
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