It has been 18 months since PLAY DEAD released their debut EP, Skint, and now the South London trio make their much-awaited return with their second offering – arriving in the form of Mug Cake.
Mug Cake opens with the urgent, dark ‘Away From Here’, which finds itself filled to the brim with both anger and attitude. Lyrically, the track explores the rage felt during the breakdown of a relationship, and the isolation that follows. Held together by a deep bassline and pulverising drumbeats, ‘Away From Here’ proves PLAY DEAD’s return to be a triumph.
Putting a witty spin on what can be seen as a mundane experience, ‘Barbershop’ quickly follows. Seeing the trio take heavy influence from the likes of The Chats, the track addresses the more than familiar scenario of the anxieties of a bad haircut.
‘Company Car’ arrives as a nod towards the traditional roots of punk, seeing PLAY DEAD take aim at corporate culture and those who engulf themselves within it. Allowing the band to provide a masterclass in lyricism, ‘Company Car’ describes the villain as someone who ‘puts himself before anyone else’.
Seeing the band depict another view of being working class in the capital, the EP’s lead single, ‘Offy’, is a rage against boredom and sobriety, coupled with the anxious horrors of having to go to the off-license to get more alcohol.
Mug Cake allows PLAY DEAD to retain the youthful elements of Skint whilst adding a new-found sense of maturity to their tracks. Allowing the trio to build on the foundations they had already built for themselves, Mug Cake is infused with the same energy they bought with Skint, whilst adding high levels of wit and rage to the mix.