YMMV / Hourglass

• Critical Dissonance: In spite of critical complaints about the album, the actual fans of Depeche Mode do like Hourglass as it is.
• Eclipsed by the Remix: Both B-sides for the album have remixes that receive more attention than their originals. Kurt Uenala's remix of "Love Will Leave" and a minimalistic fan remix of "Tomorrow" pretty much outperform the original mixes. Most of this can, of course, be attributed to the fact that neither of said original mixes are easily accessible, if at all.
• Epic Riff:
  • John Frusciante plays a wailing guitar riff in the second half of the bridge of "Saw Something".
  • "Kingdom" finishes with a badass guitar riff over pounding drums.
  • The synth madness occurring in the instrumental bridge of "Use You", which sounds like an energetic, electronic wall of chaos. And it comes out of nowhere to unsuspecting first-time listeners.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: The following chronological album that Dave writes for, Sounds of the Universe, would feature "Come Back", a song written by the same trio who created this album. One of the lines is "I could use a little restraint". Meanwhile, "Deeper and Deeper", the third song on Hourglass, is about Dave's complete lack of restraint in his arousal towards a partner, so to say he needs "a little" is rather comical on his part.
• It's the Same, Now It Sucks!: Professional critics dismissed of the album for "sounding too similar to Depeche Mode" when it released in 2007.
• Moral Event Horizon: Whatever on earth "Use You" is about, it's certainly not moral by any means. "Deeper and Deeper" is plainly about lust and desire, but "Use You" appears to be straight-up about manipulating those closest to you For the Evulz.
• Nightmare Fuel: Most of the album, but most notably...
  • The ambiguous, yet triumphant synth chords in "Kingdom", eerily sounding like a screaming animal.
  • The entirety of "21 Days".
  • "Use You". Especially the instrumental bridge section. Also the creepy choir-like sound following the final chorus.
  • The verses of "Insoluble", having creepy, unnerving tones.
  • The roaring synth conclusion in "Endless".
• Nightmare Retardant: Certain fans perceive Dave Gahan's violent tendencies during "Deeper and Deeper" and "Use You" as attractive, rather than something to fear or be concerned about.
• Paranoia Fuel: "Deeper and Deeper", due to the violently obsessive theme of the song. Not so much "Use You", since the message seems tamer in spite of the creepier atmosphere, but it can partially count too. As a bonus, the fourth song, "21 Days", which sounds like something made for a horror film from the ground-up, even if it was just made for an album.
• Sequelitis: Hourglass serves as a Spiritual Successor to Playing the Angel, being written during the tour of and being influenced by the style of the aforementioned. However, critics haven't received it as well.
• Signature Song: Regarding Hourglass itself, between "Saw Something" and "Kingdom", "Kingdom" serves to define the album.
• Squick: Dave Gahan frequently inhales and moans throughout the K10K (kap10kurt/Kurt Uenala) remix of "Use You".
• Stuck in Their Shadow: Fan reception regarding Martin Gore's writing on Playing the Angel overtakes Dave's writing and production on Hourglass.

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