With "Worst Case Scenario", dEUS became the first band from Belgium to conquer beyond the borders of the Benelux. In the bands early days, their music could be described as jumpy energetic alt. rock, with an artsy edge. "Worst Case Scenario" isn't a very consistent record, but has some great moments, and does display the bands creativity both in experimentation and raw songwriting. It defines and the entering of dEUS as one of the coolest bands in Europe...and this is pure alternative rock, euro style!
1. Intro
Nothing really noteworthy...a female voice talks in french, with the distorted sound of the band rehearsing in the background.
2. Suds & Soda
The albums first real song is pure fun and catchiness. This is probably the most innovative use of a violin in an alternative song since PJ Harveys early years. The verses are really cool, with a weird vocal effect backing up Toms lyrical vocals. It's very fun and innovative. The bridge of the song is kinda like a jam track, with a mellotron solo. A very jumpy song that just rocks out in a special way.
3. Worst Case Scenario (First Draft)
Starts with a drum roll, right into a slow funky beat. The production of this song starts miffed, like in a band recording, but it subtely moves into the cleaner production that you hear on the rest of the album. The song revolves around a bassline and Tom speaking the lyrics....dare I say...rapping? The song breaks down in a strange piano/noise sequence. The jazzy clarinets bring a strange contrast. Eventually the song becomes even more messy with freaked out guitar soundscapes all over the place, while Tom sings "It's the first draft of a worst case scenario" repeatedly. It's a very strange song.
4. Jigsaw You
This little song is a bit more on the melodic side. It shifts constantly in mood...sometimes coming out volatile...in other times it sounds quite chill out and relaxing.
5. Morticiachair
Starts with some weird background noise of someone hammering a piano. A repeating guitar melody appears, and the vocals are very freeflowing over it. The song has a very bliuesy drive. There is some wierd Beefheart-like guitar noise in the second verse. A very playful, yet strange theatrical track. It kind of gets all over the place.
6. Via
The album resumes with the more airy arrangesments of "Via". The intro is very nice, with simple drum breaks co-existing with breathy guitar noise. The song has a similair drive to Suds & Soda, but is a bit slower. I love the dubby chorus where Tom sings "I skipped the part about love" followed by more assaulting on the drums. One of the more accessible songs on WCS.
7. Right As Rain
One of the most beautiful songs Barman has ever written. This is a very quiet acoustic track, with some of dEUS best lyrics. It has a very haunting somber feel. The guitar sounds very uplifting and fuzzy at first, but very subtlely the melody seems to search, only to fall back safely in the arms of the intro melodies. Just wonderful guitar playing. There is even a mistake in the song, so it's quite possible this was recorded in one take. An amazing, naked song.
8. Mute
Mute follows right after Right As Rain. It's mostly bass and drums, with various sounds that seemingly compliment Barmans delivery. The chorus is very straight up rock stuff, nothing that original.
9. Let's Get Lost
Starts with upbuilding drums and a wall of distorted guitars. Very nicely it vaporized into simple ticking of a rimshot and very light violin staccato. Some strange guitar noise that sounds like crumbling has a very disturbing effect to all the nice melodies. It's a nother interestingly written song...it has a very epic feel with the sudden change in dynamics. Pretty good stuff.
10. Hotellounge (Be The Death Of Me)
Starts with a playful out of tune guitar work. It's a very Pavement-like song, Tom sounds kinda angry when he sings the verses as if he is asserting himself. It's another very schizophrenic song by dEUS, an odd beautiful specimen of a song.
11. Shake Your Hip
A very short, kind of joke song. It's very dancable for the 42 seconds that it lasts.
12. Great American Nude
As the title implies, this quite a sexy song. It doesn't have much of a progression. The lyrics are...well, about sex. You be the judge. Just don't take it seriously.
13. Secret Hell
A slow, druggy guitar based song. Very lyrical. Not much to say here.
14. Divebomb Djingle
Another very Beafheart influenced song. It doesn't really serve purpose as a musical track, since it's pretty bad quality.
Some songs are very purely crafted in their delicious weirdness, while other songs are minimalist and earnest. However sometimes the experimentation overwhelms the bands' focus...resulting in lots of nonsense.The album starts off very strong with "Suds & Soda, and the rest of the album fails to live up to this tracks promise. A solid, inconsistent debut album.
