The First Echo of a New Era
London’s post-punk quartet Dry Cleaning returns with “Hit My Head All Day,” the first single from their upcoming album Secret Love. Released under 4AD, the track once again reminds listeners of the band’s cool detachment and sharp relationship with language. This time, Florence Shaw’s delivery feels even more personal — a kind of inner monologue drifting through both political and psychological spaces.
The Emotional Core
“Hit My Head All Day” creates the sensation of a mental labyrinth from start to finish. Florence’s almost whispered vocals portray the inner fatigue that comes at the end of a day full of clashing thoughts. The guitars are metallic yet emotional, the bassline moves with a quiet anger. The song connects contemporary themes like information overload, social manipulation, and fragmented attention with a sense of personal awareness.
“Sometimes I can’t tell what’s mine / or what’s just noise.” — Florence Shaw
Aesthetic and Production
The track gives a strong preview of the overall atmosphere of Secret Love, set to be released at the end of 2025. Produced by Cate Le Bon, the album was recorded across The Loft in Chicago, Sonic Studios in Dublin, and Black Box in France. This variety lends the sound layers a depth that feels both scattered and intentional.
Dry Cleaning crafts an open, more breathable sonic space here — without straying from their sharp post-punk roots. The looseness in the guitar textures and the subtle synth transitions reveal a more emotional side compared to their earlier work.
Highlight Tracks (Secret Love Preview)
“Hit My Head All Day” — On manipulation, cognitive chaos, and inner echoes.
“Cruise Ship Designer” — An urban poem filled with ironic observation.
“Blood” — Bodily awareness, emotional endurance.
“I Need You” — Florence’s most fragile vocal performance to date.
IndieBird Perspective
With Hit My Head All Day, Dry Cleaning once again speaks through a lens of analytical calm. The track doesn’t rush the listener; it invites them to sit still with their own thoughts. This is a kind of mind-music — a rhythmic way to process the chaotic sounds of the outside world.
As the opening to the Secret Love era, this song might be Dry Cleaning’s most human, most vulnerable, yet also their clearest statement so far. Florence Shaw reads her mind like a city — each corner an echo, each sound a memory.
