Review: “Malfunction x Broken Down” by Dead Posey

The absence of live shows has meant that artists have had time to think out of the box and opportunity to work on some ideas which might have otherwise been on the back burner. One such act is wedded duo Dead Posey who after the release of their EP “Malfunction” earlier this year have now been able to return to it in acoustic form with the addition of a Depeche Mode cover in “Never Let Me Down Again“. The pair have been releasing music together since 2018, making their debut with EP “Freak Show” and with the benefit of having a home studio are said to currently be working on their debut full length record as well.

When it comes to acoustic re-imaginings, for us at least, the bar was set in the mid 90’s by the MTV Unplugged In New York series with legends like Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Alanis Morissette setting a particularly high standard, although the attempt from KoRn can be forgotten in a heartbeat. The success of following an acoustic road all depends on how brave you are with your re-imaginings if your songs don’t lend themselves to being played in that style. For Dead Posey “Malfunction” relied on programming to provide an Industrial Rock edge akin to bands like Kidneytheives and so with “Malfunction X Broken Down“, that is the first thing to go as the plug is pulled. Stripped down, Danyell Souza’s sultry PJ Harvey esq vocals are under the spotlight with Tony F providing the backing vocals that intertwine like twisted vines with plenty of Southern twang. The songs themselves have new life breathed into them with the Tambourine on “Parasite” in particular sounding like it belongs to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Souza’s black light shines throughout as both musicians get things weighted perfectly for “Holy Roller” and you can’t help but feel that they should be writing the score for a Western. Deciding to include a cover gave this EP something else for fans to appreciate and the choice of “Never Let Me Down Again” by Depeche Mode is the perfect partner for these songs, their rendition of it fitting in perfectly. Dead Posey have released the finest piece of hangover music that 2020 has seen [8/10]

Track List: 

1. Head of the Snake (Acoustic)
2. Parasite (Acoustic)
3. Bad Things (Acoustic)
4. Holy Roller (Acoustic)
5. Never Let Me Down Again (Depeche Mode Cover) (Acoustic)

“Malfunction X Broken Down” by Dead Posey is out now via Sumerian Records