The Light the Dead See
The Light the Dead See is the fourth full-length studio album from English electronica production duo Soulsavers, released by V2 Records in the UK on 21 May 2012,[12] and by Mute in the US on 22 May 2012.[13] The album title comes from a poem by Frank Stanford.[14] The album is a collaboration with Dave Gahan, the frontman of Depeche Mode, as guest vocalist. Gahan sings and wrote the lyrics on all non-instrumental songs on the album.[15]
The Light the Dead See
21 May 2012
12 November 2010 in Los Angeles, New York, London, Berlin, Sydney & Stoke-on-Trent
44:01
The Soulsavers
Release and promotion[edit]
The album was released as CD and digital download on 21 May 2012. The LP version was delayed to 2 July 2012, due to quality problems in the vinyl pressing.[16][17]
The first single taken from the album, "Longest Day", was released as digital download on 2 April 2012. A limited etched 7" vinyl version of the single, with only 300 copies pressed, was released on Record Store Day 20 April 2012.[18]
The second single "Take Me Back Home" was released as digital download on 20 August 2012.[19] An official music video was released from the track, directed by High 5 Collective. The video doesn't feature the artists themselves, but a story of life and loss.[20]
Originally there were no plans to tour in support of the album, since Dave Gahan was going to the studio late March 2012 to start working on the next Depeche Mode record.[15] However, the band played an invite-only "secret show" at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles on 21 July 2012. The full set of seven songs at Capitol was recorded and the 30-minute concert video "Live in Hollywood" has been streaming exclusively at the Rolling Stone website since 13 December 2012.[21][22] According to Rich Machin, it will be available as a limited edition DVD in Europe early 2013.[23]
Soulsavers premiered a music video for the track "Take". It was released on 28 February 2013 via Clash Music. The video was directed by filmmaker Bernhard Wittich.[24]
Critical reception[edit]
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 73, based on 11 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[25]
David Von Bader in his review for Consequence of Sound stated, "The Light the Dead See is an album you listen to late at night, possibly in the dark, and absolutely alone. With a dash of Nick Cave and a shade of Scott Walker, the disc is a reminder of why Soulsavers’ atmospheric hymns work so well and have earned spots in countless film and television scores."[4] Dave Simpson of The Guardian wrote, "Dave Gahan was a deep personal well of darkness: six minutes spent clinically dead following an overdose in 1996; a cancerous tumour in 2009. He draws on it extensively here... There's tenderness, too, but Gahan's brooding power is central to possibly his best work since Depeche's 1990 Violator: magnificent songs about demons and failings, morality and mortality, regret, faith and devotion."[5] Hamish MacBain of NME added, "Dave Gahan (who provides all vocals here) and mainman Rich Machin have spoken about how much they have re-energised each other, and it shows. Initially it’s strange to hear that instantly identifiable baritone clashing with organic, rough-edged guitars, dirty Hammond organ, and delicate strings rather than the cold electronics of the day job, but it soon reveals itself to be a perfect pairing."[6]