When the three remaining members of Depeche Mode broke off to pursue solo projects this year, did anybody out there think it’d be Andy Fletcher’s time to shine? Most DM fans know that Dave’s the frontman, Marty’s the songwriter (and lynchpin), Alan was the technician, and Fletch…well, Fletch sort of stands behinds the synthesizers and claps. But, while Martin Gore’s Counterfeit 2 seemed a bit soft, minimalist, and underdone (particularly in comparison to the classic Counterfeit EP) and Dave Gahan’s Paper Monsters sounded too hard, hookless, and overproduced, Fletch’s new female duo – Client (he’s the producer; in synthpop automaton fashion, they’re simply “Client A” and “Client B”) – came off just right.
While DM’s strangely been running from their trademark sound ever since 1990’s Violator, Fletch seems perfectly happy recycling the low-fi synth grooves that were the band’s bread and butter in the pre-Black Celebration years, except he’s replaced the Dave-and-Marty front-line with two very naughty British birds. (And, what with Kate Beckinsale’s Underworld around the corner, it seems to be a saucy Brit fall.) The result is basically Tigra and Bunny (who like the boom) hanging out with Kraftwerk, or an eighties hybrid of Yaz and Garbage (although these two are rarely as soulful as Alison Moyet or as grungy as Shirley Manson.) Ok, the album’s a bit spotty in places, and Miss Kittin’s already tread a lot of this ground, but “Rock and Roll Machine,” “Here and Now,” “Pills,” and “Leipzig” are all decent quality tracks for those of you weaned on A Broken Frame and Some Great Reward. And it only took two listens of “Price of Love” — the first single, propelled by one great, simple, filthy beat — during my run today before I was completely hooked.