Depeche Mode
Speak & Spell

THE REVIEW

"Speak & Spell" is the first album by Depeche Mode and the only one featuring the presence of the co-founder and first leader of the band, Vince Clark. Saying the album is practically Clark's work might seem like an exaggeration, but it's not an entirely incorrect statement.

Clark handles the writing of the lyrics, the drum machines, and even the backing vocals. The role of the lead vocalist is given to the newcomer Dave Gahan, while the use of the keyboards is divided among three band members, Clark himself, Martin Gore (who will also be the lead vocalist on two tracks), and finally Andrew Fletcher.

The album will be the perfect launching pad for the English band, and the first track immediately shows why. "New Life" is a really well-done song. The keyboards perform their role perfectly, accompanied by the drum machine which gives the song that driving rhythm that you will hardly forget. The lyrics of this song, like those of others in the album, should not be underestimated; even if at first glance they may seem trivial, they actually contain a complexity of their own.
The second track "I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead" is good, though it doesn't particularly amaze. "Puppets" is of a higher level; a catchy track but not mediocre. On the contrary, the perfect conformity between lyrics and instruments makes it one of the most convincing in the album. The fifth track "Nodisco" is adequate, although its excessive length (4 min and 15 sec) penalizes it, making it become boring in the long run.
Although I previously defended the lyrics of "Speak & Spell", in this case, I must do the exact opposite. It's all the fault of "What's Your Name". A rather banal track, simply entertaining, with not at all brilliant lyrics. Indeed, both Martin Gore and Andrew Fletcher admitted in a 2005 interview that it is the worst Depeche Mode song ever.
And here we come to "Photographic", the first Depeche Mode song written by Vince Clarke and included in the "Some Bizarre" compilation, an album featuring tracks by emerging bands. The song is decent, although it suffers from repetitiveness.

Change of pen, Martin Gore takes over from Vince Clarke in the next two tracks: he writes and composes "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and is also the creator of "Big Muff". The former is a particular song that evokes dark atmospheres, proving very convincing; the latter, however, is a sufficient instrumental track.
The tenth track, "Any Second Now (Voices)", perhaps shows the most mature lyrics of the entire album, being one of the best songs of "Speak & Spell"; if not the best. The only drawback is its short length. It's also noteworthy that the song is sung entirely by Martin Gore. The fourth track, "Boys Say Go!", is decent, while not being a musical masterpiece. The album concludes with one of the group's most famous songs, "Just Can't Get Enough". And indeed, the last track best reflects the album. Because in my opinion, "Speak & Spell" is an excellent debut album, characterized by some hits like the aforementioned last one, and by truly excellent tracks like "New Life" and "Any Second Now (Voices)"; songs necessary for the group to gain the notoriety that in the following years will allow them to experiment and to be one of the most influential bands of the last thirty years.