Dry Cleaning Secret Love and the Undeniable Warmth of “Joy”
If the past few years have proven anything, it’s that Dry Cleaning refuse to be pinned down. The South London quartet — Florence Shaw (vocals), Tom Dowse (guitar), Lewis Maynard (bass), and Nick Buxton (drums) — have spent the better part of a decade quietly refining their distinctly unpredictable voice. Where many post-punk bands trade in brooding self-seriousness, Dry Cleaning have carved out a niche that oscillates between the absurd and the profoundly observant, all delivered with Shaw’s signature deadpan cadence.
Their third studio album, Secret Love, out January 9, 2026 via 4AD, sees the band loosening even further into their off-kilter eccentricities while inviting genuine human feeling into their sonic palette. Produced by Cate Le Bon — a creative foil who encourages the group to expand both texture and emotion — Secret Love feels like the record Dry Cleaning were always reaching for: angular and literate, but surprisingly warm and expansive.
Clocking in at 11 tracks, Secret Love traverses familiar post-punk terrain — jagged guitar lines, hypnotic rhythms, and that unique interplay between atmosphere and detachment — yet it isn’t afraid to flirt with melody, introspection, and even vulnerability. Gone are the days when Shaw’s voice was almost entirely confined to spoken word; here, she ventures into sung choruses and call-and-response interplay, contributing to one of the band’s most accessible yet still defiantly quirky records to date.
At the heart of this surprising emotional shift is the album’s final single, “Joy.” Released as the fourth and closing single just days before the LP dropped, Joy stands out not just as a summation of the album’s mood but as a rallying cry for softness in chaotic times. Inspired in part by eclectic sources — Shaw pieced its lyrics together from vintage adverts in Virginia Tech University’s History of Food and Drink archive — Joy is at once playful and sincere: a compassionate coach for those desperately in need of a little light.
In a world rife with pessimism — from cultural backlash movements to disillusionment with technology — Shaw openly acknowledged her desire to “stay positive and spread softness and compassion,” admitting that the song’s wishes possess a certain naive quality. But therein lies its power: the track feels almost radical in its simplicity, urging us to not give up on being sweet.
The music video — a lean, choreographed visual authored in collaboration with BULLYACHE and starring guitarist Tom Dowse — mirrors this ethos. Eschewing conventional narrative tropes, the video gives space for movement and personal interpretation, inviting listeners and viewers alike to embody the song’s buoyancy however they see fit.
“Joy” isn’t just the closing note of Secret Love — it’s the emotional anchor pulling everything together. After an album that wrestles with ennui, social critique, and the dizzying pace of modern life, Dry Cleaning’s embrace of compassion feels like a welcome release: wry yet hopeful, quirky yet deeply human.
If Secret Love marks Dry Cleaning’s most fully realized statement yet, then Joy is its beating heart — an unabashed reminder that even in the midst of disaffection, there’s room for tenderness, humor, and connection.
Follow Dry Cleaning on Instagram at @drycleaningband
