dEUS - How to replace It

February 17th 2023

(Album Review)

****1/2

Mixing up so many great elements on this record

dEUS are a Belgium based Alternative Rock / Indie band that last released a studio album ten years ago, 2012's 'Following Sea'. 'How to replace It' is a great return from the band, and well worth the wait... every track is great. I most know the band for their first three albums 'Worst case Scenario' (1994), 'In a Bar, Under the Sea' (1996) and my favourite of the three 'The Ideal Crash' (1999). And have to admit I have not listened to them for quite a while, so I was quite surprised to hear they have not lost a thing. They are as good as they have always been, if not better at times... and you can't say the same for a lot of bands that keep releasing albums.

The album starts off with the Lenoard Cohn esq. Spoken Word song 'How to replace It', which sounds so familar like a haunting old friend. I really like the out of time piano, that comes in half way through. It helps to give life to the song, and gives it a life of it's own... almost a little Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds esq. At the end of the track it has a little Acid Jazz infusion which is really nice, and helps to bring the track to a climax. The next song 'Must have been New' is a little more American late 90's Grunge esq, think Soul Asylum meets UK Indie Brit-Pop band Mansun. I really like this track also, it really does feel like an old friend coming back to see you... I have been listening to a lot of Strangelove and Puressence recently and it also has a little vibe that might embrace similar sounds to them.

They get a bit more darker in tone, with the Electronica inspired 'Man of the House'. Which also has a bit of 70's American Rock vibe to it too, think in a way Dave Gahn 'Dirty sticky Floors' mixed with the work he did with band Depeche Mode on the album 'Violator' and 'Songs of faith and Devotion'. This also has the Dominic Chad (Mansun) vibe to it in some of the guitar work, which is enhanced by the samples of a womans voice which are added into the mix... really great!!! is the only word to discribe this. 'How to replace It', sounds like a classic 90's big album, it is that good. Every track has something new, '1989' is back to the Lenoard Cohn esq. vocals but the music sounds very 90's and has hints of the Pet shop Boys to it... while keeping to it's own thing.

This is added to by really beautiful female vocals, and a Peter Hook (Joy Division / New Order) esq. Bass line. The keyboard line for 'Faux Bamboo' is simplistic, but sticks in your head and rotates round so you will be hearing it all day. This is back up with flowing vocals, and distinctive lyrics. Before they get back to Electronica, which has a Massive Attack / Tricky vibe to it and is almost Patrick Cleandenim meets the London Electronic scene of the 2000's. But with dEUS when they do Electronica, they don't keep to it... they seem to always add something haunding and husky Blusey Rock sounds. Some of the vocals on this track even verge on the sound of Justin Furstenfeld (Blue October) at times. Every song is so well written, and their is so many great elements... which show how great the band are musically.

'Pirates' for me is a little bit of a filler song, it's not a track I would play on it's own... it is an album track. But that might be because it's next to 'Simple Pleasures' whcih is a standout track out the record, singer Tom Barman almost channels Huey Morgan (Fun lovin' Criminals) and you can really hear they came out of Jazz and Progressive Rock origins. You can really see that dEUS love music, and being experimental... this is shown best on the track 'Never get you High'. I think they should have put the 'Cadillac' near the beginning of the record, because I think this is really a radio friendly song. That would work so well done live, and sometimes I think people don't always hear some of the tracks at the end of records.... and that's a real shame. Because this is so good, and is a real sing-a-long song. This could be my favourite track on 'How to replace It', but I have to say this changes every time I listen to the record.

I think they have put this record together so well, and they close it in the way it should be closed with the piano ballad 'Love breaks Down' and the French languaged 'Le Blues Polaire'. The slow pace of both these songs, is perfect to close a record. You would put these on for atmosphere in your home, and enjoy the beauty of them. I have to say I will be checking out dEUS again more, they have really impressed me on this album. And I think I will revist the first three albums, I used to listen to and the albums I missed. This is a band that should be embraced, and listened to properly.

Review by Dan Devour