Released: October 5
Ahead of the release of their first original album in almost a decade, Missing Persons return this month with a reworked edition of their 2007 ‘New Wave Sessions’.
Harking back to the group’s early-80s heyday, when they rose through the ranks as one of the earliest iconic MTV acts with classic singles and videos like Destination Unknown, Walking In L.A. and Words, the original 5-track EP includes cover versions of classics from The Waitresses’ I Know What Boys Like to Lipps Inc.’s Funkytown.
It’s led by Dale Bozzio’s enigmatic vocals which, although matured with the passing of time and not so liberally modulating as in years gone by, bear with them echoes of the past that complement a collection such as this nicely.
Leaning heavily on synths, much of the record remains faithful to the original recordings, although a mid tempo rework of Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want To Have Fun adds a new perspective to the lyrics that’s easily lost in the playful original.
Now extended to 10 songs in total, the real lure of the new release is the additional content; five new recordings, 16 years later, that pick up where the band left off and complete the collection as a full album.
Opening with David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, noticeable first is the full-band sound of the track that, compared with the early recordings, feels instantly warmer and more rounded than some of the more sparse arrangements on the original set.
Although Shocking Blue’s Venus and Stealers Wheel’s Stuck In The Middle With You have become pop classics in the years since their original release for Bananarama and Louise, but they’re among the weaker tracks on ‘New Wave Sessions’, overshadowed by standout takes on The Doors’ Love Her Madly and The Beatles’ Do You Want To Know A Secret, both of which see Bozzio at her best.
Since returning to recording, Missing Persons have tread a fine line between original compositions and covers, with the latter taking preference in recent years with the covers LP ‘Dreaming’ arriving in 2020, alongside various archive projects.
Naturally, then, it’s the band’s forthcoming album, ‘Hollywood Lie’, that’s the jewel in their crown this year, but as a warm up to the main event this bonus helping most definitely whets the appetite for more.
