Back in the day album number ten by the synthpop heavyweights caused a lot of confusion. Almost two decades later it's time to change our opinion about it.

Although album number ten has its sinister moments here and there, it’s the reduced and light sound design of Mark Bell that shows the band from their most delicate side ever. Songs like Shine and Freelove are floating through the air like a warm summer breeze while love remains the main topic of the LP. And we’re not talking about the tortured and painful sort of love – this LP is about the one that actually works and this is such a sweet thing to hear from these guys.

Although the group released plenty of truly wonderful ballads over the course of their career, the fragile When The Body Speaks might be their finest one so far. Six minutes of soulful sensuality, bound together by a sea of strings and Gore’s gentle guitar playing while Gahan plays the longing lover with one of his most stunning and delicate vocal performances in the band’s career. It’s one of those tracks Gore would usually sing, but this attempt makes it even more impressive.

The gentle lullaby Goodnight Lovers takes the reduction to a maximum and works as one of the most brilliant duets between Gore and Gahan with the latter one again providing a stunning amount of delicacy in his voice. If the band would have ended after this one, it could have been the perfect swan song.