Hourglass is the second solo studio album by English singer Dave Gahan, released on 17 October 2007 by Mute Records. It received generally favourable reviews; most critics complimented its electronica sound, while some criticised it for sounding too similar to Gahan's group Depeche Mode.[1]
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 64, based on 18 critical reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[2]
Ben Hogwood of musicOMH wrote, "Gahan, it seems, is progressing into a well-rounded, mature songwriter who plays to all his strengths, and in particular the cracked voice, and its ability to move from a confidential whisper to a rabble-rousing bellow. These songs show him in a newly redemptive prime and will satisfy both short and long term devotees".[13]
David Jeffries of Allmusic praised the album and felt it was "a more electronic, better built, and altogether better deal than Monsters, thanks mostly to the singer and-don't-you-forget-to-mention songwriter's better sense of self." "Hourglass doesn't have any overly urgent need to shake off Depeche Mode comparisons. Instead, it surrounds Gahan's serviceable writing skills with the dark electronic soundscapes he's obviously comfortable with." only criticising "Cringe-worthy couplets like "Miracle's "I don't believe in Jesus/But I'm praying anyway." find Gahan writing in the style of Gore and coming up short."[14]
Marc Hawthorne of The A.V Club observed "Dave Gahan's second solo disc should find love from anyone who can recite from memory the albums after Songs Of Faith And Devotion. Everyone else will be indifferent. That doesn't mean it deserves to be ignored—two decades removed from his band's creative peak, Gahan has actually made one of the year's best-sounding electronic releases," concluding, "But when all is said and done, Hourglass simply lacks the exciting moments that got him here. A major exception is "A Little Lie," whose hook is like a mechanized version of the sax in The Psychedelic Furs' "Dumb Waiters." But trapped down at track nine, it feels like an anomaly."[15]
Al Spicer of BBC praised Gahan's vocals saying, "Covering the emotional gamut from tearful regret to sated melancholy - at times with more reverb than strictly necessary - Dave’s voice is the album’s strongest, most memorable facet; the perfect vehicle with which to acknowledge one’s sins, invoke divine protection and beseech forgiveness. Gahan’s control and masterful delivery show that years of the rock star lifestyle left no lasting damage: if anything, the slight rasp of maturity lends an air of authentic experience that his work with Depeche Mode only hinted at."[16]
Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian gave a 4 star rating saying "Dave Gahan's second solo outing is reliably bleak, probing the murk of his post-heroin-addiction mind as you'd expect, but achieving a kind of magnificence, too. A return from Paper Monsters' grungy guitars to uncompromising electronica works very well, elevating Gahan's morose thoughts into frigid symphonies. His remarkable voice fills in occasional gaps in the songwriting (the most nagging being a lack of hooks that contrasts unfavourably with the chorus-laden tunes of Depeche Mode's Martin Gore) and induces goosebumps, too."[17]
Benjamin Boles of Now was more negative in his review saying "Depeche Mode frontman David Gahan's second solo disc is closer to the electro-pop vibe of his better known project than that of his first solo outing, for which DM fans will likely be grateful. Unfortunately, he's not as good a songwriter as Martin Gore, and this has a shortage of decent hooks." calling it "a bit of a mopefest" and saying "Some songs start out peppy and intriguing, but his moaning over top sucks all the life out of the groove."concluding, "Hardcore Depeche Mode fans will likely find more to like, but it's hard to imagine any but the most rabid really loving it."
Track listing
All tracks are written by Dave Gahan, Christian Eigner and Andrew Phillpott.
^"Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 44.Týden 2007 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
