Released not long after their first EP, Sweet Princess, Dry Cleaning‘s Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks further intrigued post-punk fans in the United Kingdom and around the world with its hypnotic, mostly spoken-word lyrics and wild, angular sounds.
The Cure-like bass of “Dog Proposal” gives way to jangly guitars and vocals about working one hundred-hour weeks and trying to break out of the daily grind (“I’ve joined a gym near the office!”) seem to come from a different place, physically and mentally, than the instruments. “Viking Hair” is a story of a stunning woman who’s “a tragic heroine” when it comes to her love life. The band throws Joy Division guitars at you while the lyrics grab you by the back of your brain.
“I’m cool with spoils,” sings Florence Shaw on “Spoils” while Lewis Maynard lays down a great, heavy bass line and Tom Dowse‘s guitar tilts back and forth between buzzsaw and police car siren. “Stream, stream, stream my favorite shows. Just tell me who dies and who finds love,” Shaw sings / speaks. Even she is tired of the endless scrolling of streaming TV.
“Jam after School” is a weird and cool mix of school gossip and what sounds like a clinic on how to create a good post-punk single. “Sombre One” has an appropriate title, as it’s just Shaw’s sparse vocals (“Can’t seem to get out of bed easy.”, “Snacks and drinks, closed space, get rid of photos.”, “Move into the caravan park and be done with it.”), Dowse’s sparse guitar notes, Nick Buxton‘s hand percussion, and strange samples. The closer “Sit Down Meal” has Shaw stating, “You’re nothing but a fragrance to me now.” I’m not sure which is harsher: Her verbal smackdown or the band’s killer, almost swaggering hooks and chops.
It’s a sharp EP that left everyone clamoring for more material from Dry Cleaning. Thankfully, New Long Leg came out earlier this year.
Keep your mind open.
[Bound on over to the subscription box while you’re here.]
