At some point between age 15, when I owned more synth-pop 12″ singles and EPs than I care to admit , and heading off to college, I decided that some of my music was decidedly uncool. After that I spent far too much time learning the genealogy of Lou Barlow’s many side projects and far too little time singing into a brush in front of my bedroom mirror.

Now that I’m older and have no hope of being cool, some of these guilty pleasures can come out of the shadows and mirror dancing is once again possible. Enter Depeche Mode’s Playing the Angel. Is it good? I have no idea. Have I been listening to it nonstop since yesterday? Yes, most definitely.