Following another period of intra-band angst in the wake of Exciter, with both Dave Gahan and Martin Gore releasing solo albums and various other rumblings about the future, everyone came back together with the help of a new producer, Ben Hillier, to produce one of their strongest albums. Playing the Angel hit a new level of maturity in the form of “Precious,” Martin Gore’s lyric covering the impact of divorce on his children, but there was just a fresh kick to the sound all around, an accomplished blend of electronics and their strong live band punch.