It’s been over a decade since innovative indie aces dEUS last cranked out a new album, and as the Antwerp quintet are one of our all-time favourite bands, a new release makes for a rather exciting musical moment, especially as the band are also touring.
So, even though we don’t always address new releases from podcast alumni, we decided to record a review of How to Replace It and rank it alongside their other work. See below for that, and see here for the original dEUS ranking.
Here is a link to the dEUS: How to Replace It album review podcast.
The dEUS Jeffrey Podcast Playlist showing the new ranking is also available here on Deezer.
Line-up change
Soon after we recorded the initial dEUS ranking podcast, it was announced that sadly Bruno de Groote had suffered a stroke and was unable to continue in the band. Mauro Pawlowski filled in for him initially on guitar, and then in 2022 fully rejoined the band, so the line-up at this point is:
- Tom Barman – vocals, guitar
- Klaas Janzoons – violin, keyboards
- Stéphane Misseghers – drums
- Alan Gevaert – bass, vocals
- Mauro Pawlowski – guitars, vocals
2023: How to Replace It
The (very) long-awaited follow up to The Following Sea was worth waiting for. It is a mixed bag, but all the more interesting for that. It was recorded over a longer period of time than usual, exacerbated by Covid lockdown and Bruno de Groote’s illness. Pawlowski eventually returned when de Groote was unable to continue, and both appear on the album, although neither are listed as official members of the band.
The kick-off track (How to Replace It) is a glorious rocky chant that brilliantly sets the scene and reminds us what’s so great about dEUS’s eccentric approach – but it took us a few listens to arrive at this view, at first we were a bit unsure – and this became a theme, it’s an album that demands a few listens to appreciate.
It has its ups and downs, with fun poppier numbers like Must Have Been New and 1989 and crackers like Never Get You High, Pirates, Love Breaks Down and the brilliant final track Le Blues Polaire, but then the album wanders and feels looser with tracks like the self-consciously bonkers Simple Pleasures and pleasant but unconvincing oddities like Why Think it Over (Cadillac) and Faux Bamboo.
We may change our view in a couple of years, but at the moment we regard this as a very enjoyable chap that improves with every listen.
Our picks: How to Replace It and Le Blues Polaire
The (Updated) Jeffrey Music ranking of dEUS albums (2023):
- The Ideal Crash (1999)
- In a Bar, Under the Sea (1996)
- Pocket Revolution (2005)
- Worst Case Scenario (1994)
- How to Replace It (2023)
- Keep You Close (2011)*
- The Following Sea (2012)*
- Vantage Point (2008)
* We swapped these two round from the original ranking, with Keep You Close now ranking higher. We didn’t explicitly agree this during this podcast recording, but have since decided it’s okay for us to revisit the ranking when there are new albums.
See here for the original dEUS ranking.
In the middle of recording this, John was lucky enough to attend the StuBru showcase event at BXL Central where they presented the new album (sort of), so the photos below pertain to that splendid evening.
Jeffrey Music 