Dry Cleaning are perhaps not a very original choice to write about, but this has been one of the absolute stand-out albums of the year so far for me. It's so fantastically, refreshingly honest. The band just unapologetically does its thing, with no heed for the norm.
This is stream of consciousness musical poetry for 2021. Dry Cleaning have completely nailed the use of mashed up snippets of very English conversation, set to rhythmical - and sometimes almost bouncy - bass and drums, and punk-edged lo fi guitar which sometimes errs on the frantic. The lyrics often remind me of overheard bits of utterly mundane conversation at the bus stop; this is the stuff of modern, suburban, English life in all its post-modern, post-millennial blandness.
But somehow Dry Cleaning make this style very listenable, and musically really satisfying. I think part of that must come from the way in which Florence Shaw delivers it all absolutely deadpan, with just the occasional subtle twitch of slight emotion. It's spoken, but you hardly notice that after a few seconds (a bit like the best of Kate Tempest).
I've chosen to write about the whole of this album rather than any one song, not for some deep artsy reason, but just because there's no way I could pick any one song to write about. Laziness again? Probably, but I'll try to justify it ..:
For example, I could perhaps focus on Scratchcard Lanyard, with its definite chorus and pulsing rhythm (and possibly unique reference to 'oven chips'). But that would mean I wouldn't get to write about my love for Strong Feelings, which has such a fantastic bass line and guitar work which goes from slightly darker-edged in the verses, to satisfyingly crunchy in what I suppose is the pre-chorus.
Then there's Her Hippo, starting tentatively before introducing one of the best lines from the album (the one about the electrician shouting 'Yabba').
And what about the unexpectedly touching piano melody on More Big Birds (track 8)? And the quavery, close-to-discordant guitar riffs on A.L.C?
I could go on, but you get the idea. This is a great album all round - both in terms of the quality of each of its 10 songs, and the way it all hangs together - the way albums really should - to create a cohesive whole which creates a proper atmosphere and tells a story.
One of my favourite moments on the album comes about 45 seconds into the sixth track, New Long Leg, when Florence actually sings ("der doo doo") - and you realise she has a lovely, pure voice, absolutely melodic and tuneful. She does it again for practically a whole chorus on More Big Birds. Once you've heard that, it somehow gives the spoken parts even more depth. It also drives home how original Dry Cleaning are.
If you've not listened to this as an album yet, you really should!