Keep You Close PIAS**

Creatively rich but commercially poor, the soured legacy of dEUS' first 10 years and three records has influenced their proclivity for what could kindly be described as a more accessible output in recent years. In an effort to connect with a wider audience, Keep You Closeis, according to frontman Tom Barman, "very passionate, but danceable", and therein lies the problem. Neither one nor the other, the Belgian rocker's sixth album has the tendency, similar to predecessor Vantage Point, to overblow ideas to the point of pastiche. The title track is strangled by its string arrangement, and the catchy Ghostsis ruined by Barman's (unintentionally) hilarious white rap. Album standout Twice, a darker, soulful affair featuring Greg Dulli on backing vocals, and the prog-tinged Easyoffer ample evidence that behind the posturing and posing dEUS are still a good band, just one offering little to excite. See deus.be

Download tracks: Twice, Easy