Album: dEUS, Vantage Point (V2)

The accolade of being Belgium’s Top Band sounds like something of a back-handed compliment – and following the recent rise of Soulwax, indie-prog outfit dEUS may not even have sole claim on that distinction. And to be honest, Vantage Point doesn’t quite merit it, either.

It’s not bad as such, just lacking the distinctive character to set it apart from the hordes of generic indie bands. Best when at their leanest, as when blending spindly New York punkfunk with European motorik propulsion on “The Architect”, too often dEUS overload their songs with layers of keyboards and guitars that simply obscure matters.

Virtually the only time this strategy really works is on the opener “When She Comes Down”, which starts out with a funky, spring-heeled guitar riff and gradually develops a brooding anxiety.

"The Vanishing of Maria Schneider" from Vantage Point features in this month's Independent Audio Player. CLICK HERE to listen.

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