Belgium rock band dEUS returns to the music scene with Pocket Revolution, its first album in five years. Formed in 1991, the band now consists of Tom Barman (vocals/guitar), Alan Gevaert (bass/vocals), Klaas Janzoons (violin/keyboard), Mauro Pawlowski (guitar/vocals) and Stephane Misseghers (drums/vocals). One of Belgium’s most successful bands, dEUS took a short break for the band mates to pursue solo projects. Back together, dEUS is looking to make up for lost time.
Pocket Revolution is Depeche Mode rock: nothing glamorous, nothing showy, nothing bad. Starting off with “Bad Timing,” dEUS sets the mellow mood. Longer than most songs ever could be, “Bad Timing” slowly builds in rhythm and loudness, but never loses that relaxed feeling that the band takes at least three minutes to create. The result is a near perfect juxtaposition with “7 Days, 7 Weeks” — a song that perfectly fits into the indie scene currently occupying rock radio.
From the 70s soul-like “Include Me Out” to the 80s electronic “What We Talk About (When We Talk About Love)” to the 90s manic “If You Don’t Get What You Want,” dEUS displays its musical talents into a diverse showcase of catchy beats and nostalgic tempos. The band doesn’t hesitate to brand out its sound. With the Duran Duran sounding “Nightshopping” or The Music-like “Pocket Revolution,” dEUS varies its music with thoughtful tenderness and careless leisure. Being gone for so long, it’s amazing how the band has changed. It exudes more confidence, far from its Ideal Crash album days. The band is more assured in its ability to play slow and less erratic songs. It now favors the smoothness of “Nothing Really Ends” and the bluesy-type of “Real Sugar.”
That isn’t to say that dEUS can’t still rock. It crosses into Jane’s Addiction territory with the psychedelic funk rock styling of “Cold Sun Of Circumstance.” Punk isn’t a mystery either as “Stop-Start Nature” shows the band with the focused aggression of an environmental activist. The range that dEUS displays is incredible given the highly specialized nature of music today. Pocket Revolution should be heard.
[photo via Pocket Revolution]
[photo via Clemsound]
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Track list:
- 1. Bad Timing
2. 7 Days, 7 Weeks
3. Stop-Start Nature
4. If You Don’t Get What You Want
5. What We Talk About (When We Talk About Love)
6. Include Me Out
7. Pocket Revolution
8. Nightshopping
9. Cold Sun Of Circumstance
10. Real Sugar
11. Sun Ra
12. Nothing Really Ends