Review Summary: After their massive successfull debut album (at least in Belgium and Holland) they changed their musical direction a lot with this album, becoming their best album.
dEUs won HUMO's rock rally, the most important rock-music contest in Belgium in '92, other recent bends who won this rally include Noordkaap, Evil Superstars, Novastar Das Pop and The Van Jets
In a bar, under the sea is their second album successing their debut album "worst case scenario" ('94), later they made "the ideal crash" ('99), their third and pocket revolution(2005). Though these 4 albums are all excellent, this second one is my favorite, probably because it's their most experimental and diverse album, probably because it's the last album featuring Stef Kamil Carlens whod played bass / vocals, before leaving dEUS to start his own band (Moondog Jr, later renamed to Zita Swoon; another excellent band)
The overall sound of the album makes me think of OK computer of Radiohead (which would come out a year later), though you actually can't compare them with any other band, the sound is just to unique.
Back to the album, I will only give comment to my favorite tracks:
14 For the roses:
Slightly monotonous at first listening, but impressing in its use of violins and vocals, who are building up the tension in a way I've never heard before; with that very short (less than 1 sec.) electrical guitar intermezzo. The athmosphere often makes me think of the chaos like energy that Biohazard can generate.
One of my 20 all time favorite songs!
13. Disappointed in the sun
Probably the most radio-friendly song of the album (and not brought out as a single) a melodic song in which the violins and the melody, together with the reflecting lyrics go into sort of an anthem that sticks in your mind
5. Little arithmetics
Very silent opening part with fine percussion going into something I like to call "the perfect pop song" and ending in louder electrical guitars. Classic dEUS song
6. Gimme the heat
A bit in the same athmosphere as disappointed in the sun, but slower, more melancholic, and again, it's the violin who gives the direction of the song
2. Fell of the floor man
Up tempo song, great first and second vocals done by Tom Barman and Stef Kamil Carlens, at first you don't know what to think of this song, but it turns out to be a disco! song, long before there was that (minor) disco revival
3. Opening night
A song that's often forgotten, a short, piano-driven song that stays when you listen to it late at night.
7. Serpentine
Light ballad song with passionate vocals, sounds a bit like an interlude song (is short), but impressing
4. Theme from Turnpike
The song with the video-clip that makes you think it's a song of a soundtrack, slow evolving song (with horns!) with the sax comming on scene when you would fall asleep, maybe a little too long, but the percussion-driven final makes it more than good
10. Memory of a festival
The only song that's fully rocking. Not as excellent as many of their full rocking songs of their debut album, but good as a break for the other more quiet songs on this CD.
"I know, this ain't nothing very deep but it's good fun.
so don't run into the cowd papapapa papapapa"
15. Wake me up before I sleep
The closing song: A song you forget the first listenings because it follows the mind blowing "Roses". Craig Ward plays the slide guitar here, light song, and good closing song for this CD.
An overall drawback is that the album does not gell together too well, there's often no flow between the songs. A minor drawback that can not be completely solved since the songs are that diverse and have such different moods. It also sounds as their most engaging record, their heart is very much in this record. Later dEUS records would turn out more calculated, and more polished (esp. "the ideal crash").
Engaged, warm and emotionally deep, this may be the penultimate indie-record to cherish for a long long time..
