While running this blog has been a great exercise in exploring music through the flat circle of time, I’d be remiss to not acknowledge that we’re currently experiencing a(nother) renaissance in post-punk because, remarkable, artists are finding some aspect of the world to be anxious or angry about.
As such, a lot of the bigger, buzzier names on the scene are trading in an anxious, angry kinda vibe that I get but am not really glomming onto right now. Maybe I’ll come around eventually, but for now… eh. One very notable exception is London’s Dry Cleaning, whose debut full-length New Long Leg – released back in April – is pretty much the furthest thing from angry.
While the music itself is driving, hooky, and occasionally anthemic, it’s steered to an intriguingly odd place by Florence Shaw’s abstractly micro-observational lyrics and deadpan delivery. At first, I found it a little too affected but was eventually drawn into her strange yet compelling world. Maybe if I’d spent a little more time with The Fall it’d have been a lower bar of entry, but I actually kind of like how quickly and unexpectedly I got pulled in.
As one of the more feted debuts of the year, the band have done a lot of press – which is fine as they’re an interesting outfit. DIY talked to Shaw about how they crafted their debut while dodging lockdowns:
Everyday Madness: Dry Cleaning @ DIY
Pitchfork’s feature profile of the band starts from their performance in Los Angeles the eve of the COVID shutdown of America, reaches back through the band’s origins, and polls their favourite YouTube videos:
Dry Cleaning’s Everyday Surrealism @ Pitchfork
Rolling Stone talked to Shaw and guitarist Tom Dowse while declaring the outfit “A Band You Need To Know”, of which they’re not wrong:
The Everyday Poetry of Dry Cleaning @ Rolling Stone
The Guardian’s profile of the band deserves props for not using the word ‘everyday’ in their headline:
Dry Cleaning: the post-punks who sing about Meghan Markle and Müller Rice @ The Guardian
The band detailed the logistics of trading cassette demos in the time of COVID to The Line Of Best Fit:
Dry Cleaning blur the lines between the hyperreal and surreal @ The Line Of Best Fit
Florence Shaw chatted with Jezebel:
Tom Dowse gets into the band’s musical process for The Guitar Magazine, and for all those wondering – namely me – he’s playing a Gibson SG through Fender Hot Rod Deluxes.
And to the record’s lead single, which we have here in official video form, as well as live sessions for BBC and KEXP:
