Dea Matrona – Kiss Review

Commonplace it is for artists to release a few extra tracks after the release of their album, for Dea Matrona to do it is rather special. Their debut album, For Your Sins, is an exceptionally solid piece of work. Any act would be keen to grasp the consistencies the Northern Irish rock duo has for their first outing. Following it up with extra track Kiss, a cover of the Prince song of the same name, feels like more than a thank you to their listeners – another slice of their talented, 1970s rock-influenced style. From the aesthetic choices to the punchy sound they hold, Kiss is another firm entry from Dea Matrona who are (as every act of their quality is) building a comfortably reliable backlog of work. Their discography speaks for itself, their articulation on Kiss an exceptional continuation of their For Your Sins work.  

It may be a fun little cover but the likes of The Last Dinner Party through to Elvis Costello can comfortably hold themselves to the high bar set by taking the works of another artist. Heavy instrumental tones, and the slower tempo given to this Kiss cover, are enough to separate the original from a contemporary take by Dea Matrona. Such is the key to any cover, to any artist trying to show their love for a song but with enough distance between it and their infatuation to make for a new edition. Dea Matrona has a brilliant cover on their hands here, a sharp kick of their groove-laden style adapted to a Prince classic. Mollie McGinn and Orláith Forsythe continue the shared instrumental duties which make their sound a collective experience, not something for those listening in again and again to pinpoint as one or the other as the key player. Kiss depends on the back-and-forth, the consistency which comes from two performers blurring into one, brutal sound.  

Kiss becomes a stellar cover because of this, the dedication not to standing out but to pooling those resources, to considering how they can punch up against one of the finest Prince songs around. Everyone knows those opening bars of Kiss, those higher pitches the late-stage master would bring. Dea Matrona brings it down an octave or six, finds a punchier guitar swing to it and, in spots, improves on a classic. Those drum machines and the impressive vocal highs are replaced by a steadier rock focus, an adaptation made to prove, more than anything, that Prince’s most popular tracks have a rock edge to them. He was a hell of a guitar player but it was the one thing that could not fit into the original bar a few slick notes towards the end.  

Dea Matrona makes further additions. There should be no controversy about this addition, though their steadier rock replaces that funky collection of riffs heard on the original Kiss. For those fans of Dea Matrona already out there, this Kiss cover will prove fantastic. Those steadfast in their dedication to the Prince classic may find it tough to overcome their expectations, but what it proves irrespective of like or dislike is the group has a considerable understanding of the sound they are influenced by. Kiss and the release of For Your Sins is not a replication of classic sounds, it is a continuation of them. Crucial the difference may be, few are doing it quite like Dea Matrona, and covers like Kiss keep them ahead of the rest.