"Dave Gahan's Magic 'Kingdom'

Depeche Mode frontman returns with a song from his second solo CD. Plus: A world premiere track from Hard-Fi, an EW.com exclusive from Via Audio, and hot tunes from Devendra Banhart and Wiley"

By Simon Vozick-Levinson


DAVE GAHAN, ''Kingdom''
Depeche Mode's frontman has spent his entire career singing bandmate Martin Gore's songs, which might explain why the lead single from Gahan's second solo album, penned without Gore's assistance, still sounds almost exactly like a Depeche Mode song. ''Kingdom'' once again explores the familiar contrast between cold, nasty industrial squelches and Gahan's exquisitely velvety pop vocals instead of breaking any new ground. And so what? The formula has stayed fresh throughout Depeche's decades-long run, and it still works just fine here. (Buy it on iTunes or stream it from Gahan's MySpace)