In a Bar, Under the Sea

Mind you, it isn't always so cohesive. In A Bar begins with an all-out assault on the senses, a low-fi acoustic blues rant followed by a sampled sound bite advising listeners to "be your own dog," interrupted by a James Brown break beat, invaded by a grunge guitar crunch. Then comes a funk bass and guitar groove, leading into a call-and-response rap/shout with a falsetto soul chorus, and into a middle section of synth dance pop. "Opening Night" overlays two different pop melodies by two very different singers, with guitar and piano lines weaving through. And "Theme from Turnpike" uses a Mingus bass sample, Beefheartian vocals, sound effects, James Bond guitar, horn, and string arrangements, Latin percussion, and free-roaming sax to create something both eerie and warm--not far from Tom Waits at his best.

Keep going and you'll also hear pop punk in "Memory of a Festival" and whispery cabaret jazz in "Nine Threads," set among more typical, playful tunes. But admixing more sounds than can fit into the diminutive kingdom of Belgium, Deus's sum becomes a rich, dynamic chamber music for a postmodern world. --Roni Sarig