Dry Cleaning have quickly ascended themselves as a leading light of the current post-punk boom. From the cutting Northern powerhouse of Yard Act to the dynamism of Squid, Dry Cleaning taps into somewhere different; a strange, enigmatic and pseudo-relaxing somewhere.
‘Anna Calls From the Arctic’ is the second single from their upcoming second LP Stumpwork, to be released in October 2022. This comes off the back of a victory lap for their eye-catching debut, New Long Leg, which won Rough Trade’s Album of the Year in 2021.
Laid over a bass driven, airy instrumental, lead singer Florence Shaw’s vocal take is concurrently jagged and smooth as butter. The lyrics cover a range of topics in stream of consciousness style. The music seemingly following the peaks and troughs of Shaw’s train of thought. Observations appear to be plucked out of nowhere, with Barry Mannilow, gym shorts and Sports Direct all getting a mention.
The final lyrics see Shaw state ‘Nothing works, everything’s expensive, and opaque, and privatised’; a powerful take over the apex of the single’s urgency. Immediately, it becomes underpinned by the following line, ‘my shoe organising thing arrived’. Profound, then not, it leaves the listener not knowing what to think; stunningly, you stay with it.
‘Anna Calls From the Arctic’ is a mighty addition to the Dry Cleaning universe. Engross yourself in their world, and there’s much to enjoy and be rewarded by.
Dry Cleaning’s forthcoming LP, Stumpwork, will be released on 22nd October 2022.
Listen to ‘Anna Calls from the Arctic’ on Spotify.
