Disclaimer: These are our own interpretations of the songs of ‘Memento Mori’, and may not necessarily reflect the songwriters’ actual intentions. That said, this is our review of Depeche Mode’s latest album following in the context of Andy Fletcher, a key member of the band’s passing, how we apply it to grief, and what we can learn from it.
Mortality is a recurring motif for electronic band Depeche Mode’s music. Depeche Mode was formed in 1980 in Basildon, England. Starting out in their careers with innocent bubblegum synth pop (“Speak & Spell”, 1981), they slowly evolved into grungier alternative electronic pop (“Violator, 1990”), to edgier dark rock (“Ultra”, 1997), but have never failed to keep a sense of perseverance even with tracks that sound bleak. Their current line-up consists of charismatic, singer Dave Gahan (who is of Malaysian descent) and impassioned blonde songwriter/musician Martin Gore, though they have never been just two. Shockwaves hit when in late May of 2022, they announced the unexpected loss of co-founder and keyboardist Andy Fletcher. Without let or hindrance, the remaining 2 artists in their golden years pulled through and released ‘Memento Mori’ (a Latin phrase serving as a reminder that we all have limited time in this world), their latest studio album, on the 24th of March, 2023. In this article, we explore ‘Memento Mori’ and provide our takes on the songs.
Before Fletcher’s passing, things were sour with Gahan and Gore – fights would emerge about songs and production, and Fletcher was the middleman who led them to be merely convinced enough to settle on an agreement. Talented producer and musician Alan Wilder, who joined in 1982 and was once a very notable member of Depeche Mode, has also voiced out many tensions in working with them, causing him to leave in 1995. Many fans longed for the return of Wilder after his departure, but especially could not believe the tragedy that would happen many years down the road.
Saccharine transpired when Gahan and Gore had to face their fraying friendship in a tight state mixed with grieving, anger, and sadness. They had to face the truth and themselves eye-to-eye by bonding over honesty and processing Fletcher’s passing by creating new music together while sharing stories of him.
Image by Anton Corbin
The album’s cover art portrays two pairs of angel wings and bouquets of flowers next to each other, signifying Gahan and Gore’s acknowledgment that they too, will meet their demise. In ‘Memento Mori’, we see Depeche Mode explore their insights and the five stages of grief in no specific sequence.
‘Ghosts Again’, the first single released off the album, is notably one of the most intriguing tracks, as they dive into the middle of depression and acceptance of reality. Both of them express their conflicting experiences of grief with lyrics such as “Sunday’s shining, silver linings” and “A place to hide the tears you cried, everybody says goodbye”, indicating that they realise there is some comfort in going through the inescapable passing of Fletcher as it already happened, but also wishing for somewhere to conceal their sadness following his end, and how mortality will affect everyone else, including themselves.
“We know we’ll be ghosts again,” Gahan and Gore bittersweetly cry out in harmony. The depth of the line cuts deep; that is when they start to welcome the inevitable that would occur to them sooner or later after many sights of their loved ones passing. In many other tracks of ‘Memento Mori’, we can find other scattered emotions between the lines of the sheet music.
And right after their initial depression and acceptance, the album moves onto ‘Don’t Say You Love Me’, where they dive into their exasperation through their spiteful statements of how that particular someone has ‘never loved them’, as they left with no closure. The song evokes passive-aggressiveness (“So don’t say you love me, ‘cause you’ll never love me”) and brings about comparisons between the listener to them in contrasting situations and pessimism. ‘My Favourite Stranger’ is another track that expresses their anger that has folded into themselves. They start to go through the effects of self-blame through their dark side. Gahan says in an interview, “That song is about having a shadow, someone who follows you around the clock and tells you things. Do you listen to the lie or to the truth?”
Depeche Mode repeatedly chants in ‘Always You’ that they need somebody specific to cure them of the absurdities, terror, and misery they face in life. To that, we reach depression. It almost seems like a desperate beg for someone to return with how Gahan repeats, “There’s always you, and then there’s you” while stating how his life is filled with instability, reality is warped and insanity reigns.
Denial hits in ‘Never Let Me Go’, disguising their refusal to believe the actual situation through a love song. “It was plain from the start, you’ve been running from me,” Gahan sings, which can be read as the both of them believing that Fletcher has not really passed, rather he is simply hiding away from them in another place. They want Fletcher to continue staying with them like usual days in order to create peace in their lives again, as they recite the song title in the chorus over and over again.
The album humanly does not follow the order of grief, ending with bargaining (‘Speak to Me’) as Gahan and Gore wish they could follow Fletch in his journey. Gahan provides a voice to Gore’s words on longing; begging and looking for something that both of them could do to change this situation. “Give me some kind of plan.. I’d be grateful, I’d follow you around,” Dave remarks, on the verge of tears.
Heartbreak is plentiful with ‘Memento Mori’ – from Gore’s vulnerable, confusing but relatable perspective on grief in writing, Gahan’s voice cracking due to the raw emotions felt, to the harrowing production that emits and transfers particular parts of their memories into sound.
Image by Anton Corbin
So how is it that ‘Memento Mori’ could be so relatable? As agonising as it is, we all grieve in different ways and in our own time, and Depeche Mode explores their own path of bereavement. They understand that there are no actual stages and emotions that fall into place after one another. There is no set process. You might fall back into the stages of bargaining or denial after assuming that you have accepted it days before. Emotions come and go, and that itself is human nature. The irony is that, even with how differently we all grieve, we manage to ultimately feel the same emotions.
‘Memento Mori’ also reinforces to us that there is no need to feel guilt or shame and conceal how you’re feeling no matter the circumstance, and most importantly, when in heartache. Their portrayal of how it is okay to feel different things at once is commendable, as Depeche Mode is male-dominated. Their songs can serve as a message for males to be comfortable in their feelings, even if negative. This creates a healthier space for anyone in their grieving process.
The ability to be there for each other is a different takeaway from ‘Memento Mori’. It fosters a stronger connection between those grieving, for they can start to really put aside differences and realise that all humans have limited time on Earth. In a way, it could bring you and your close ones closer, similar to how Gahan and Gore are resolving their grievances for each other.
Not only does Depeche Mode serve as an inspiration musically, but the core messages they send out are vitally as important. Their vulnerability in grieving helps people in several ways – just like how many fans have proclaimed their music to have saved their lives through tragedies.
What did you think of ‘Memento Mori’’s tracks? Do you have another separate take on perceiving this album after listening? Let us know by sharing them with us and the article.