South London’s Dry Cleaning return with ‘Cruise Ship Designer’, the second single from their forthcoming third album Secret Love, and bloody hell – this is exactly what they do best.
Florence Shaw’s deadpan spoken-word delivery meets the band’s fidgety post-punk guitar work in a track that absolutely channels early Adam and the Ants energy, particularly that Dirk Wears White Sox era tension and spikiness.
The song tackles existential dread through the lens of a cruise ship designer who’s professionally successful but spiritually empty.
Its viewpoint echoes the satirical sting of XTC’s ‘Making Plans for Nigel’ rather than citing it outright, examining a life spent building grandiose status symbols for others whilst questioning the actual worth of it all.
There’s something brilliantly British about this kind of self-aware career anxiety.
Musically, the band hasn’t lost their touch for tight, punchy arrangements. Tom Dowse’s angular guitar lines and Lewis Maynard’s propulsive bassline create that signature Dry Cleaning sound – jagged, nervy, but somehow utterly danceable.
The clip, directed by Cuán Roche, shows Lewis Maynard performing a routine choreographed by BULLYACHE, mirroring the song’s themes of performance and artifice.
Produced by Cate Le Bon, ‘Cruise Ship Designer’ suggests Secret Love (out 9 January 2026 on 4AD) will continue the band’s streak of creating post-punk that actually has something to say.
Where others rely on atmosphere alone, Dry Cleaning keep finding fresh ways to explore modern malaise with wit and precision.
