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dEUS - Vantage Point
Release Date:
Label: Rating:  Release date: 28th April 2008 Label: V2 Rating:  The Belgians gave Britain Stella Artois, Soulwax (now more famous for their off-shoot 2 Many DJs outfit) and now 'Vantage Point' by dEUS. Recorded in Antwerp, this is actually the group's 5th album, though it maybe the first time many listeners will have come across them. They might not have mastered caps lock yet, but dEUS make a decent record. Their slower moments are undoubtedly their finest. 'Smokers Reflect' and 'Eternal Woman' mark the highlights in this tempo and call to mind Grand Drive's 'Nobody's Song in Particular'. The latter starts like an acoustic Blur track with swooning keyboards and insistent but understated drums providing a rich background to a lush swathe of guitars. The approach is confident, and pleasantly slow-burning. Dark, panel-beaten vocals offer a wealth of interest and it feels as if you sat down with a pen and paper to grab the nuggets of intellect, you might unlock a myriad of the earth's secrets, such is the wisdom apparent in Tom Barman's singing. Oddly enough, 'Slow', featuring The Knife's Karin Adersson, seems to up the speed dial a touch, and with greater urgency blends in Human League-sounding vocals with a soupcon of Kate Bush to their already fairly successful formula. Happy with the 80s angle, the following track, 'The Architect', sees the band staying in the decade for a shameless slab of electro-pop. It might have been poor planning to follow up with 'Is A Robot' that replaces the former track's joie-de-vivre with a more commercial-rock drive-time stodge. Still, even here, the sound is full, authetntic; dEUS don't do thigs in half-measures and like to provide variety. These variations are not always successful however. Lyrically, Barman wanders off somewhat on 'Oh Your God'. His preaching spoken words fail to grab at you like his wonderfully sung lines, and he offers a curious aside on muscle-building - "last night did 34 push-ups / should've done 68" - go for the burn! It's half Fight Club; half Ocean Colour Scene's 'Hundred Mile High City' and with hilarious consequences. The talking style on opener 'When She Come Down' does work though. In fact, this one funks along like a Belgian answer to Fat Boy Slim's 'Weapon of Choice'. Elbow's Guy Garvey crops up to give his approval on 'The Vanishing Of Maria Schneider' and that's some seal. Elbow fans may also find something to intrigue them here. Stephen Bloomfield Official Website Myspace Stephen Bloomfield
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