Dry Cleaning Cruise Through the Absurd on “Cruise Ship Designer”
Dry Cleaning are back with another sharp, deadpan gem. The South London quartet just dropped “Cruise Ship Designer,” the second single from their upcoming album Secret Love, out January 9th via 4AD. The new track comes with a delightfully odd video featuring bassist Lewis Maynard performing a fully choreographed routine by BULLYACHE — proof that no one commits to awkward brilliance quite like this band.
Florence Shaw’s coolly spoken lyrics channel the voice of a cruise ship and hotel designer — a guy who’s good at his job but questions if it means anything. It’s quintessential Dry Cleaning: funny, detached, and weirdly relatable, riding on wiry guitars and a perky pulse that nods to XTC’s “Making Plans for Nigel.”
Secret Love marks the band’s most adventurous stretch yet. Recorded across London, Chicago, Dublin, and the Loire Valley, the album captures the chemistry between Shaw, guitarist Tom Dowse, drummer Nick Buxton, and bassist Lewis Maynard, guided by producer Cate Le Bon (Wilco, Deerhunter, Devendra Banhart). Expect dry wit, shifting textures, and that unmistakable balance of precision and chaos that’s made Dry Cleaning one of the UK’s most inventive bands.
Pre-order Secret Love HERE
North American Tour Dates
(with YHWH Nailgun)
Jan 23 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Jan 26 – Toronto, ON @ Concert Hall
Jan 27 – Montreal, QC @ Le National
Jan 29 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Jan 31 – Hudson, NY @ Basilica Hudson
Feb 1 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Feb 3 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Feb 4 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
Feb 5 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East
Feb 6 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
Feb 7 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
Feb 9 – Dallas, TX @ Texas Theatre
Feb 10 – Austin, TX @ Radio/East
Feb 12 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Feb 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
Feb 15–16 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Feb 18 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Feb 19 – Sonoma, CA @ Gundlach Bundschu
Feb 21 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox
Feb 22 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
The Fire Note is an independent-music website that mixes record-store culture with lively, opinionated music journalism. It publishes: Album reviews and features – Covering indie-rock, punk, folk, experimental music, and underground scenes.
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