Album of the Day

Released 20 years ago today in Depeche Mode's native England, EXCITER marked a return to form for the synth-pop greats. A Top 10 debut on both sides of the Atlantic, the collection was produced by Mark Bell, who brought out the best in both vocalist Dave Gahan and songwriter Martin Gore. The baker's dozen tracks include singles “Dream On,” “Freelove” and club friendly “I Feel Loved,” and if the tempos are sometimes slower and the focus more personal than earlier work, the set boasts lots of variety and puts abstract electronic textures to excellent use. As U.K. music mag NME originally described the gold-certified EXCITER, “Not many long-running groups could make an album this fresh and confident in their 20th year, never mind one which bridges timeless soulman crooning and underground techno.”