Staff Picks

Hello Sorry Staters. Welcome to 2026. It’s already getting a good start on being an even shittier year than 2025. Last year was an awful one for us, as most of you are aware. Grief over tragic loss is never an easy thing to deal with. To all of those who have sent us condolences and had us in their thoughts, we thank you.

It feels weird writing about anything these days with all that has happened and is going on in the world, particularly here in America. These are very troubled and scary times we are living in. It’s hard to enjoy anything when such terrible things are happening all around us. Music, film, TV, sport, you name it, all seems so trivial in comparison. The arts serve a purpose though, and often when times are tough, they come to the rescue when we need them most. Music in particular can heal, soothe, inspire and bring joy. It does for me. We just need to make sure we aren’t allowing “entertainment” to distract us from the fascist takeover that is going on around us. Perhaps we’ll see some serious music that speaks of the times we are in. That would be a good thing. Even pop music can be on the right side of history and let’s hope we see more pop, rock, country and hip-hop stars, among others, using their platform to promote positive messages and to make a stand against the evils of the world.

I thought for my first one of these this year I would try to write about something new, or relatively new. I know I am the king of the oldies around these parts, but every now and then I like to listen to new stuff. LoL. One band whose records I have been digging for the last year or so is Dry Cleaning. They come from London and are on 4AD. I liked their sophomore album Stumpwork, which came out at the end of 2022, and now to kick off 2026 they have a new one out called Secret Love.

The band formed prior to the pandemic and were on the brink of a breakthrough of sorts, but their momentum was halted, just like so many others, when the lockdown took effect. The group is built around a trio of musician friends who had all aged a little and taken full-time jobs and were only viewing playing music as a hobby when they began Dry Cleaning. However, when college arts lecturer Florence Shaw was asked to join them, things got serious quickly. Initially unsure about whether she was the right fit for the job, Shaw was encouraged to just recite her poetry and to talk about whatever came into her mind. It is this dry, talking style that she uses that makes the band different, and it makes them sound cooler than if she were attempting to sing instead. The music palette is that of post-punk. Fans of The Cool Greenhouse, another London group that formed around the same time, might find a lot to like in Dry Cleaning. Critics have bandied around phrases like, “imagine The Fall fronted by Annette Peacock” to describe their sound. They’ve been compared to Magazine also, and certainly on album opener Hit My Head All Day you can hear a nod to them in the guitar sounds, I think. Another name that comes to mind when trying to describe Dry Cleaning is Baxter Dury. Son of Ian, who has been putting out cool and interesting records for a couple of decades now. Those are all big artistic boots to fill for sure, but there is a bit of truth in that comparison. I love The Fall, naturally, and here at Sorry State we also have a lot of time for The Cool Greenhouse, so it was almost a forgone conclusion that Dry Cleaning would appeal to me, but judging by the critical praise the band is getting for this latest record, a lot of others feel the same. In fact, their label 4AD has re-released their debut album New Long Leg, along with a reissue of their first EPs to satisfy the increased interest in the band. Their popularity probably wasn’t hurt by opening up for Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds on that group’s 2024 arena tour. A good choice of support and I am sure many of those attending those shows became new fans.

For Secret Love, the producer’s chair was occupied by Welsh artist Cate Le Bon, whom they had befriended after a meeting in Chicago back in 2022, facilitated by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, who was recording with Le Bon at his Loft studio there. Cate Le Bon is also credited with various synth and drum machine programming on the new record, and some recording was done in Chicago at The Loft, but they recorded most of the record in France. On this new album, their sound is like previous outings but slightly more polished and Shaw does sing here and there, mostly on choruses. I didn’t see a credit for anyone else providing back-up vocals, so I assume it is her voice we hear singing. Also, not a lot should be made of the dry, talking-singing thing really. It’s not exactly a new style. Go listen to Marlene Dietrich, Nico, Brigitte Fontaine, and Grace Jones, for more examples. Beat poets, jazz singers and rappers will tell you they’ve been doing it for a fair while also. It’s just a style, and it works well here.

If, like me, you are finding boppy, poppy, bubblegum music doesn’t quite fit the mood right now, then give Dry Cleaning a chance. Being on 4AD, their album art is also a big part of the package, and this one, like the last one, tells you that something might be a little different within. Check out Secret Love here.

Thanks for reading and for supporting music and our part in that.

Cheers - Dom