When Vince Clarke left Depeche Mode to form Yazoo back in the early '80s, it seemed to leave the band dead in the water. Luckily, Martin Gore - the only remaining musical member - took up the songwriting duties and turned the cheesy gay disco act into one of Britain's finest, influencing house DJs and alternative acts in the process.

Still, despite having the smoothest croon since Elvis, no one ever expected Dave Gahan to pick up a pen and start scribbling. Bafflingly, here I am listening to 'Dirty Sticky Floors', the first single from his solo album 'Paper Monsters'. Sure, it was never gonna match 'Enjoy The Silence' or 'In Your Room' but it ain't terrible either.

Given his '90s flirtation with smack and grunge chic, the rockin' sound and subject matter of the song are a given. Lyrically it seems to be a flashback to the days of Druggy Dave. And while the words themselves are a bit on the naff side ("I've painted a face where I burnt the floor / Now the face has become my devil's door" indeed), it's excellent background music - all chart-friendly beats, slide guitars and "Ooh ooh" bits. You're not likely to find yourself accidentally humming the tune though, which is a shame.

Full points for effort then, halved due to not quite hitting the mark.