Dry Cleaning—Secret Love

There’s something about this album I just can’t put my finger on. I’ve never been a big follower of post-punk. I’m old enough to have grown up surrounded by punk, witnessing its meteoric rise and eventual implosion firsthand. I suppose the closest I ever got to post-punk was Ian Dury, apart from the fleeting singles that shot into the pop charts and just as quickly disappeared. For many, Dury may not be a quintessential example of post-punk, but he and his band, The Blockheads, had the musical chops, and Dury had a way with words, I won't say sung, more delivered.

The album opens with Hit My Head All Day, which in some ways is very reminiscent of The Blockheads. The vocals are cleaner, delivered with eloquence by Florence Shaw. I’ll admit part of me initially resisted, but my more creative side took over, eager to joyride through the words and melody and at just over 6 minutes, it's quite the ride.

The song titles are as out there as the band’s name, "Cruise Ship Designer" being a prime example. The music begins conventionally, providing a solid sound-bed for the vocals. While the lyrics are as mundane as the title might suggest, there’s a strange, hypnotic effect at play. I wanted to dismiss the song, yet found myself transfixed, and by the end, the music unravels into a thrilling cacophony of noise.

The next track "My Soul / Half Pint" opens with a wonderful bass line, and jangling guitar accompaniment. As I'm listening, I'm trying to think when would I put this album on normally, to listen to? What kind of mind space would I need to be in? As the guitar gets wilder, there's a certain feeling that is evoked, Like an antidote to an angry mind. The mind equivalent of noise cancelling.

"Secret Love (Concealed in a Drawing of a Boy)" feels musically rooted in the 80s, with a nod perhaps to The Smiths, particularly Marr’s jangling guitar work, Joyce’s intricate arrangements, and Rourke’s bass lines. Lyrically, it lacks the acerbic wit of Morrissey, instead opting for a gentler, more tender tone, but this softness doesn’t diminish the song. On the contrary, it gives the track a unique warmth and emotional resonance, standing confidently on its own while still evoking that era.

It was the next track, "Let Me Grow and You’ll See the Fruit", that first drew my attention via YouTube Music’s "My Supermix". The opening guitar immediately made my ears prick up, and when the vocals kicked in, it became clear this was something quite different. I found myself playing the track repeatedly in the car and made sure to add the album to my review list once I got home. On a casual listen, the lyrics might seem mundane, their delivery blending into the music, but when you pay attention, they reveal a surprising depth and thoughtfulness that really rewards careful listening.

I couldn’t help but smile inwardly when "Blood" began, and the opening guitar immediately reminded me of "Venus" by Bananarama. But soon, a thumping drum enters, pulsing through the track like a heartbeat, albeit one racing toward disaster. This is another song where the music and lyrics are almost diametrically opposed, and by all rights they shouldn’t work together, but somehow, they do and that's very much the theme of this album I think.

Yet another surprise comes with "Evil Evil Idiot". The track is much more laid-back and dark, yet the vocals introduce an odd brightness, brighter in delivery, but with lyrics that remain equally in the shadows. It represents a clear tonal shift, and I couldn’t help but listen closely, anticipating what might come next.

We return to a rockier (no pun intended) track with "Rocks", but this one didn’t quite gel with me. The cohesion between lyrics and music feels off, and it largely lacks the signature character of the other tracks. There’s something very reminiscent of Julian Cope, particularly from the Peggy Suicide era, and perhaps it would have been better suited to an album with a similar tone.

We seem to be back on track with "The Cute Things". It starts more conventionally with drums, then bass and finally guitar. The vocals are softer and at times there's actual singing. Though it's fleeting, it's still welcomed. I have to bring focus to one part of the song where the lyric "Confuse Me, Confuse Me", is almost sung. It's like an affectation of Jilted John, a glorious song from my youth and I couldn't help but smile at the memory. Again like one of the earlier tracks, the music kind of unwinds, carrying with it a strange but welcome energy, concluding with a great guitar outro.

Within seconds of "I Need You" I was in. There's I think a synth sound, which is very reminiscent of the drainpipes played by the Blue Man group, not being struck, but more played by the use of air. It's a slow, meandering music track, soon joined by Florence's vocal delivery. The lyrics this time feel more weighty. There's a wonderful choral section near the end, which is atmospheric and strange and beautiful. I think for me, this is very much my favourite track on the album.

The album closes with Joy, which at first reminded me of Replica’s Ready to Go. It’s a faster-paced track than I would usually expect for a finale, but I suppose I’m a bit of a cracked record when it comes to that. This track stands out for having a clearly sung chorus, which is unusual for the album. Overall, it’s an interesting closer, though lyrically it doesn’t fully land in either the mundane or the profound.

This is an album where I discovered a song and didn't think the album would be up my street, but still wanted to give it a listen. Well I'm glad I did. As I said earlier post-punk was never really on my radar, and my experience gave it a very fixed definition, which to some degree Dry Cleaning has helped redefine. As I alluded to earlier this is one of those albums I would have to be in the right frame of mind to play, but will find very rewarding when I am. It's certainly put the genre back in my focus and I'll be looking out for more releases from this and other bands.