Alexis Petridis has given his seal of approval to Dry Cleaning's latest album, Secret Love, declaring it his Album of the Week. This album marks the third release from the south London quartet and finds them continuing on their path of blending post-punk guitars with spoken-word vocals.
Characteristics that have defined Dry Cleaning since their emergence are still present here - particularly Florence Shaw's unique lyrical style, which often appears as a collage of overheard remarks, YouTube comments, and lines from adverts. Her voice is distinctive too, veering between speaking and singing in an untutored tone reminiscent of Young Marble Giants' Alison Statton.
However, it's the song 'Cruise Ship Designer', featuring Shaw herself, that garners particular attention. In this track, Shaw delivers a line about hiding messages within her work that appears to be self-deprecating - an attack on pretentiousness and the expectation of cleverness in art. The subtext suggests she is poking fun at those hoping to decipher hidden meanings behind her lyrics.
Despite these enigmatic lines, the songs on Secret Love are less about presenting puzzles for listeners to solve than drawing haunting vignettes of lives spiralling out of control. Tracks such as 'My Soul/Half Pint' and 'Blood' paint nuanced pictures that only come into focus upon closer inspection - both narrators struggling with personal crises behind seemingly mundane facades.
Lyrically, the album stands out in a genre often defined by clever wordplay for its raw emotional impact. This, combined with the band's ability to balance tight songwriting with musical experimentation, cements Dry Cleaning's status as an indie standout.
The production, handled by fellow left-field artist Cate Le Bon, sees the band expanding their sonic palette beyond distorted guitars, incorporating elements of 80s funk and synthesizers into the mix. This bold direction results in a cohesive sound that showcases the band's growth and willingness to evolve their style.
With Secret Love set for release on January 9th, Dry Cleaning are poised to further establish themselves as an act with a distinctive voice and perspective.
Characteristics that have defined Dry Cleaning since their emergence are still present here - particularly Florence Shaw's unique lyrical style, which often appears as a collage of overheard remarks, YouTube comments, and lines from adverts. Her voice is distinctive too, veering between speaking and singing in an untutored tone reminiscent of Young Marble Giants' Alison Statton.
However, it's the song 'Cruise Ship Designer', featuring Shaw herself, that garners particular attention. In this track, Shaw delivers a line about hiding messages within her work that appears to be self-deprecating - an attack on pretentiousness and the expectation of cleverness in art. The subtext suggests she is poking fun at those hoping to decipher hidden meanings behind her lyrics.
Despite these enigmatic lines, the songs on Secret Love are less about presenting puzzles for listeners to solve than drawing haunting vignettes of lives spiralling out of control. Tracks such as 'My Soul/Half Pint' and 'Blood' paint nuanced pictures that only come into focus upon closer inspection - both narrators struggling with personal crises behind seemingly mundane facades.
Lyrically, the album stands out in a genre often defined by clever wordplay for its raw emotional impact. This, combined with the band's ability to balance tight songwriting with musical experimentation, cements Dry Cleaning's status as an indie standout.
The production, handled by fellow left-field artist Cate Le Bon, sees the band expanding their sonic palette beyond distorted guitars, incorporating elements of 80s funk and synthesizers into the mix. This bold direction results in a cohesive sound that showcases the band's growth and willingness to evolve their style.
With Secret Love set for release on January 9th, Dry Cleaning are poised to further establish themselves as an act with a distinctive voice and perspective.
and I'm super hyped! Florence Shaw's lyrics always give me chills - she's got this way of capturing the mundane moments that can be really dark and relatable. The production on this new album sounds like a game-changer too, all this 80s funk and synthesizers... it's gonna be interesting to see how they blend that with their post-punk vibes 
. Can't wait for the release!
I gotta say, I'm loving the vibe of Dry Cleaning's new album, Secret Love! 
Florence Shaw's lyrics are so unique and relatable - it's like she's speaking straight to your soul 
. The way they blend post-punk guitars with spoken-word vocals is pure genius, and that voice? 
The production is on point too, adding this funky 80s twist that takes the album to a whole new level 
. What I love most about this album is how it doesn't feel like it's trying too hard to be clever - it just lets the emotions shine through and creates these haunting stories that stick with you long after the music ends 
. Definitely an Album of the Week in my book! 
, but in a super witty and self-deprecating way 
The production is so on point too - it's like they took all the best bits of 80s funk and synthesizers and mashed them into this amazing indie sound 
. And that Florence Shaw voice? Goals! 
Can't wait to dive in and explore this album further #DryCleaningForever #IndieRock #AlbumOfTheWeek
Florence Shaw's lyrics are like little snapshots of lives in flux, full of contradictions and complexities. And that production, oh man... Cate Le Bon's touch really brings out the band's experimental side, it's like they're pushing against the boundaries of what indie music can do. I'm excited to see where this new album takes them! 
. The way she weaves together these obscure bits of everyday life is genius 
. And that 'Cruise Ship Designer' track? 
. I'm already counting down to January 9th for this album release 
. It's gonna be a wild ride listening to Secret Love!
Can't wait for this album drop on Jan 9th, gonna be a wild ride 
. It's almost refreshing to hear someone just sharing their emotions without all that clever wordplay. But at the same time, I'm not entirely convinced... is it too polished? Are they trying too hard to go mainstream? 
florence shaw's lyrics are everything - so raw & emotional 
. Don't get me wrong, their sound is definitely growin' on me and Florence Shaw's vocals are straight fire 
. And don't even get me started on the production – Cate Le Bon's got some sweet skills, but I'm not sure if she needed to bring in that much 80s funk 
... just don't expect me to join the fan club anytime soon 
it's like she's giving us a whole new level of cleverness right in the face... or so we think 
.
.
And then Shaw just drops these haunting narratives that are like, totally on point. It's like she's speaking directly to your soul, you know? 
And yeah, the production is insane... I mean, who would've thought to combine 80s funk and synthesizers with distorted guitars? 
And honestly, if Florence Shaw can make pretentiousness sound cool (which, tbh, she kinda does 
. The production on this album is also super underrated - I love how Cate Le Bon brought some 80s funk vibes into the mix 
. But hey, if Dry Cleaning is what floats your boat, go for it... I'll stick to my disco classics 
He mentions Florence Shaw's unique lyrical style but doesn't provide any context about her background or influences... where did she get that distinctive tone from? 
. The production sounds interesting, but can they pull off this 80s funk vibe without being a parody?