New Dawn Fades – Love Will Tear Us Apart

New Dawn Fades is a band put together by the cast of the play about Joy Division. It’s a hit play about the iconic group, and their rousing rendition of Love Will Tear Us Apart is utterly spellbinding. It’s been covered here by the cast, featuring Josh Lonsdale on vocals, who is not an Ian Curtis soundalike but channels the icon to perfection, spitting out the suicide note that made the group both iconic and evergreen. At the cornerstone of this excellent performance is Nathan King’s authentic arrangement that never apes but is totally authentic to the mood of the original Factory Records release, courtesy of none other than the maverick Granada Reports presenter and label boss Tony Wilson. Augmented by a creepy Jesus and Mary Chain feedback guitar, this cool cut has a tension that is both cinematic and representative of both the hit play and the original hit record. However, it has an originality that is second to none.

The bonus track is even more alluring, with ex-Happy Mondays on-stage DJ Vince Vega on the mix. He’s remixed David Bowie and Sweet, but his remix featuring Melanie Williams exceeds all expectations. The soaring vocals of Melanie Williams and the husky spoken word of Josh Lonsdale are a match made in heaven, with the poignant libretto of Ian Curtis being the intrinsically devastating drop to the proceedings. The backing track is industrial and, whilst having punk attitude, has a New Order dancefloor attitude that is second to none. It’s almost New York-style Studio 54 with a quirky and prosthetic twist. You can read The Punk Site‘s review of New Dawn Fades: A Play About Joy Division here.