Hourglass (Dig)

2007 sophomore solo album from the lead vocalist of Depeche Mode. Hourglass is an Electronic gem of an album that is as experimental and atmospheric as it is powerful and melodic. Although Gahan's debut album was a step away from the sound of his full-time band, Hourglass embraces the dark and moody Electronica that has made Depeche Mode worldwide superstars. Features the single 'Hourglass' plus 'Saw Something', 'A Little Lie', 'Down' and many others. The voice of a generation has come home..... Mute/Virgin.

Despite walloping a ruinous heroin habit that left him clinically dead for a few minutes a decade ago, Dave Gahan's first solo outing, 2003's Paper Monsters, was most notable for its utter lack of self-confidence. You couldn't really blame him for sounding a bit tentative--the lean Depeche Mode frontman had spent the previous 25 years singing other people's songs. On Hourglass, however, Gahan finally comes into his own, taking the grimy synth-rock blueprint of his 50 million album-selling band and customizing it with his own swaggering touch. He proves just as passionate meditating over lovely mood pieces, such as "Miracles," as he does lending his well-worn howl to noir-ish rock anthems like "Kingdom," through it all sounding more alive than he has in years. --Aidin Vaziri