Venus Fly Trap
Déjà Vu 1986-2026
Glass Modern
From their early incarnation as post-punk pioneers to their current manifestation as a darkwave duo, Venus Fly Trap have been in constant motion, and, like the proverbial rolling stone, there has never been any danger of this Northampton-based bunch becoming stagnant. Throughout this flux, one thing that remained is a strong focus on melody, and they use it as a weapon to batter down any resistance you might have. Case in point being opening cut (and debut single) ‘Morphine’, a track so addictive it should really come with a health warning. 40 years have done little to dampen its adhesive quality, and it will, as with all the songs in this collection, attach itself to your memory bank like a leech. Keeping that melodic sensibility at the heart of everything they do is the thread that stitches this album together as the band shapeshift over 20 tracks. Running chronologically, Déjà Vu intersperses the singles (including some remixed and alternative versions) with B-sides and rarities, making it the perfect companion for old and new fans alike. Final track ‘Bebe’ finds Venus Fly Trap in full-on retro mode and offers no clue as to what musical territory they might explore next, but for now, here’s a strange case of Déjà Vu.
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Review by Peter Dennis