Soulsavers (also known as The Soulsavers Soundsystem) are an English production and remix team composed of Rich Machin and Ian Glover. On their last two albums they have worked with Mark Lanegan, but on this their fourth they have now brought in the services of Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode). I have long thought that Dave is an incredibly under-rated vocalist and here he has down himself proud. They incorporate loads of different influences, and the end result is something that is distinctly dustbowl Americana with Johnny Cash, Alabama 3 and (somehow) Fields of the Nephilim all having their part to play in proceedings. It is an incredibly dark album, and the one negative is that while each song is different they do follow a similar style so there isn’t a lot of variety going on, but when music is as simple yet powerful as this maybe they just didn’t want to veer away too much.
But, the songs are the vehicle for a stunning performance from Gahan, and I am sure that this is going to surprise a lot of those who thought that “Just Can’t Get Enough” was the limits of what he can do. Since those early days he has been through a great deal on a personal level, and his troubles with substance abuse and his resulting death for two minutes have been well-documented, but I don’t think he could have produced these vocals without that experience behind him. There is a stark honesty that is laid bare for all to hear. An incredibly powerful album.
