Exciter

If there’s anything more pathetic than a botched suicide attempt, it’s a new offering from Depeche Mode. Though the band still gets its groove on (especially with the sinuous acoustic-guitar stutter of “Dream On”), frontman Dave Gahan seems sadder than ever, creepily crooning sentiments like “You’ve been hanging from a rope of mediocrity/Strung up by your insecurities” (on “Shine”). As for Exciter, the music moves us, but as the head moper himself sang: “Words are very unnecessary/They can only do harm.”