Album Review: London’s Dry Cleaning release their masterful sophomore album, “Stumpwork”
With their latest record, Stumpwork, London’s Dry Cleaning announced themselves as one of the most unique bands in modern music. The quartet’s sophomore full-length effort was released on October 21 on the 4AD label.
The album arrives on the heels of a busy touring schedule from the quartet. Although the album continues with many of the band’s signature first-album musical maneuvers, post-punk with an understated vocal delivery, the recording displays experimentation and creative growth for the group.
Unlike New Long Leg, Stumpwork opens gradually with “Anna Calls From The Arctic.” A catchy baseline and drone-y guitar loops birth the LP evoking feelings of nostalgia, empathy and promise.
“Kwenchy Kups” and “Gary Ashby” propel Stumpwork further into familiar sonic territory with witty, fun lyrics, the latter of which touch on the vulnerability of an escaped family tortoise, with Shaw repeating the question, “Are you stuck on your back without me?”
Tom Dowse displays more range on guitar; Nick Buxton’s percussion lines vary more in tempo, and Lewis Maynard’s bass stretches across genres, while there is more emphasis on jam-out time littered throughout Stumpwork. The listener can hear how these songs might expand into a full-on jam when performed live.
A captivating bass line prominently carries “Hot Penny Day,” which also incorporates the use of saxophone and keyboard synth in a furious blend of psych-funk mastery.
The album’s title track begins with sentimental guitar notes, which build into a splendidly- simmering number that excites and entices as to what comes next. There’s something glaringly, magically nostalgic about the track.
Florence Shaw’s lyrics continue in a trajectory set with the first LP, but further dissects societal and individual highs and lows. Toward the end of New Long Leg’s opening track, “Scratchcard Lanyard,” Shaw says, “Do everything and feel nothing,” whereas with Stumpwork, Shaw further elaborates on this concept throughout the album. Shaw comes across as an astute observer and vested player in modern life. Perhaps the prompt this time is “Do everything and feel something?”
At the end of New Long Leg, Dry Cleaning incorporated a long, discordant series of guitar struts before launching into a classic crescendo in “Every Day Carry.” The band disperses this throughout Stumpwork, meshing one track with another. This may be what sets Stumpwork apart from its predecessor most; it feels more cohesive, with some numbers transitioning like driving from one town to the next, you can only tell from the road sign or song title.
“Liberty Log” is the most somber track of the album, serving as the perfect transition toward the albums’ finale, and possible apex, “Icebergs.”
There really is not a low point on this sophomore full-length from the enigmatic South Londoners. Fans of Dry Cleaning will be more than satisfied with the familiarity of Stumpwork, and elated with Dry Cleaning’s development and experimentation.
To say Stumpwork is impressive is an understatement. With their sophomore release, Dry Cleaning synthesizes a variety of sounds, tones, topics, and emotional content. Stumpwork is a sociological examination; it’s introspective, energizing, and a whole hell of a lot of fun to listen to.
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