Dry Cleaning
Sweet Princess EP
**and1/2 out of *****
The debut EP from UK post punk band Dry Cleaning is a strange mix of dance/power pop/punk with spoken word vocals in conversational/poetic manner titled Sweet Princess.
The five songs have some locked in tone by the band of Lewis Maynard, Tom Dowse, and Nick Buxton with the front woman role played by Florence Shaw, who is a University Lecturer and uses those speaking powers instead of singing. This brief introduction to the band's style can be angular, strange yet warm and relate-able at times.
"Magic of Meghan" is groove backed slashing guitar riff ode to the Duchess of Sussex and the constant media surveillance around her, serving as the bands first single. While bass and drums lock in, the guitars ring almost off-key while Shaw rattles of headlines and sayings about Meaghan Markle. "Goodnight" deals with near death experiences the lost of a pet and other painful topics over bubbling rock, while a dancey beat and "fa-fa-fa's" color the buoyant "New Job".
"Traditional Fish" is more art piece with statements/observations, and haunting riffs with strange echoes while "Phone Scam" reminds of the Minutemen in it's jangle/off kilter groove before closer "Conversation" plays like warped pop rock.
Mixing performance art and post punk/warm rock the group is interesting and works more often than not on their first offering. Sweet Princess was recorded before the group ever played live and Dry Cleaning will grow as a band, and it will be worth seeing what they come up with next.
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