Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork (October 21, 2022)

Stumpwork will be released on 21 October digitally and on CD, cassette, standard white vinyl and limited-edition black eco vinyl. The first 500 LP pre-orders will receive a free 'Don't Press Me' 7", which also features an exclusive non-album track.

Limited T-shirt available individually here, and as part of album bundles with LP and CD. T-shirt design by Peter Millard.

Stumpwork, Dry Cleaning's follow-up to 2021’s New Long Leg will be released on 21 October 2022. The South London-based group’s first studio album, recorded in just two weeks with producer John Parish at the iconic Rockfield Studios, became a huge critical and commercial success reaching #4 in the UK Album Charts and featuring in best-of-2021 polls across the board. Buoyed by its success, Nick Buxton (drums), Tom Dowse (guitar), Lewis Maynard (bass) and Florence Shaw (vocals) returned to rural Wales in late 2021, partnering once more with Parish and engineer Joe Jones. Working from a position of trust in the same studio and with the same team, imposter syndrome and anxiety was replaced by a fresh freedom and openness to explore beyond an already rangy sonic palette, a newfound confidence in their creative vision. A longer period in the studio afforded the time to experiment, improvise, play, sharpen their table tennis skills.

Stumpwork was inspired by a plethora of events, concepts, and political debacles, be they represented in the icy mess of ambient elements reflecting a certain existential despair, or the surprising warmth in celebrating the lives of loved ones lost through the previous year. Surrealist lyrics are as ever at the forefront – but there is a sensitivity now to the themes of family, money, politics, self-deprecation, and sensuality. Furious alt-rock anthems combine across the record with jangle pop and ambient noise, demonstrating the wealth of influences the band feed off and their deep musicality. With the pressure of their debut album behind them, Dry Cleaning have crafted an ambitious and deeply rewarding new work that marks them out as one of the most intelligent and exciting acts to come out of the UK.

The album and single artwork were conceived and created by multi-disciplinary artists Rottingdean Bazaar and photographer Annie Collinge. James Theseus Buck and Luke Brooks of Rottingdean Bazaar first worked with Dry Cleaning directing the official video for ‘Scratchcard Lanyard’ and as their creative partnership with the band continues to flourish, they have fashioned a brilliantly unique visual identity for Stumpwork.

Tracklist

1. Anna Calls From The Arctic
2. Kwenchy Kups
3. Gary Ashby
4. Driver’s Story
5. Hot Penny Day
6. Stumpwork
7. No Decent Shoes For Rain
8. Don’t Press Me
9. Conservative Hell
10. Liberty Log
11. Icebergs

 

Having a violent reaction to that artwork

 

Looking forward to this, will just have to try to not be sick looking at the artwork

 

They’re killing it on this P4K stream. Didn’t know they had a new record coming out until it was mentioned earlier in the set

 

I don’t really like this band, at least I didn’t like their last record, but they sounded better in person (I was at some of the aforementioned Pitchfork set). Maybe I’ll have to give that album another listen and this one a chance.

 

I really really dug the instrumentation on New Long Leg but the vocal style and how loud it overpowered everything else in the mix made it hard for me get into. Dunno how the live sound was compared to the stream mix, but I thought the bass grooves and guitar leads popped a lot more than on record. Gf and I were straight up dancing in the living room haha

 

My exact issue, the vocal instrumental was awful IMHO and a huge turn off for me. Maybe this new record will be better!

 

I loved their last record although I didn’t end up returning to it very frequently. This new song is solid, and the artwork is hilarious.

 

I love everything with this band!

 

they're so fucking good

 

New single premiering tomorrow:

 

World tour!

Live

 

can't wait

 

This is the best thing I have heard in a long long time

 

I love this band, there's so much great stuff out today I'm not sure I will get a chance to peel away from this.

They should have released "Kwenchy Kups" as a lead single, that song is a legit bop

 

Just went into this completely blind and I think I loved it?

 

is it just my ears or are the vocals on this mixed WAY too high

 

there's so much more melody and hooks on this compared to the last one. gosh i love this. garrrryyyy ashbyyyyy

 

We gave you our family name
In the lockdown, you escaped

 

Quickly became one of my favorite releases of the year, so many fucking hilarious turns of phrase on this one. Love that there are more bits where there's just a touch of singing. Instrumentation is so colorful and engaging.

 

A favorite album of the year, better than the last one even. Reminds me a lot of Protomartyr.

 

Yes! It's one of my favorite album of the year as well. Absolutely lived up to the high expectations I had