Dress To Kill - obsession/Way Above My Head/You

Dress To Kill

​Obsession/Way Above My Head/You
self-released; 2023

By Dan Weston
​

Dress to Kill is a band with a history. I found their comeback story interesting. Andi Cooper and Jim Doran formed Dress To Kill in Liverpool in 1984. They were brought up on post-punk and new wave which back then was novel and quite popular in some scenes. Listeners often compared the Dress To Kill sound to such notable bands as Ultravox, New Order and The Human League. A long story short they recorded a number of songs and thirty-seven years later they polished them off and released them.

The first song I listened to was “Obsession” and this is no facsimile. It somehow sounds more ’80s than ’80s music. The “midi” sound that started to emerge in that era is all over this song. I might have missed something but everything sounded like it was either a drum machine or a synth. The vocal melodies lead the charge here. I found the melodies to be accessible and familiar. 

The mix of the songs was very good. Although this is undeniably an '80s aesthetic I felt the mix itself was a little more contemporary. For instance the low end felt more robust and buoyant. I think there were some similarities to the band Cut Copy. The band sings “Let me make it clear / This ain't no first impression / I've had it up to here with your obsession / Have it your own way / I’ll add one to the collection / I’ve been through this before / I should have learned my lesson.”

“Way Above My Head” is a lot darker. This song reminded me more of post-punk in the spirit Joy Division. In fact the vocalist sounds a little like Ian Curtis. That being said, the elements themselves are electronic. There are some elements  which almost sound out of place like lighter synth horn sound against the darker submerges. It does work in some kind of absurd way. It’s like it’s trying for this joyful moment but the weight of everything else distorts. The vocals are dynamic. On the hook the vocalist loosens up. There’s also a sample which sounds like it’s from an old movie.

So far these were two different songs where one leans into new wave and the other more into post-punk. I think my favorite was “You” which stars with noire like horns and an almost R&B ’80s groove. This song makes you feel like you should be listening at night. The twinkling synths, the subdued energy and hushed vocals make this an intimate sounding song.

​If you like authentic new wave and post punk it doesn't get much more accurate than this. The band was and probably is still very talented. I loved the fact they dusted off these recordings and made them available to the public. I for one am a

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