Bubbling Under the Top 75: Soulsavers – ‘The Light the Dead See’

Artist: Soulsavers

Album: The Light the Dead See

Label: Mute

Image: http://images.popmatters.com/music_cover_art/l/lightdeadsee.jpg

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Soulsavers
The Light the Dead See

The Light the Dead See is the product of a sort of alchemy that is extremely rare in rock ‘n’ roll. For their fourth album, producers Rich Machin and Ian Glover paired up with Depeche Mode vocalist Dave Gahan. The result was some of the best work by all involved, a moody, foreboding collection of bluesy, folky rock, a sort of traditionalist counterpoint to Depeche’s Songs of Faith and Devotion. Machin and Glover generated a Pink Floyd-like grandiosity that stopped perfectly short of going over the top. Gahan, though, made all the difference. His lyrics were soul-searching, and his familiar baritone revealed an unprecedented richness and depth. Unknowingly, The Light the Dead See set the bar high for Gahan’s day job. — John Bergstrom