Thank god that as the world (and humanity) is spiraling further into the abyss Dry Cleaning remains a monotone, cheeky voice of dark humor and understanding so that at least in the abyss we know we’re not alone. “Scratchcard Lanyard” is the band’s first release since their Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks EP in 2019 and their first with label 4AD. The accompanying music video showcases vocalist Florence Shaw as a massive head onstage within a club diorama — a visual representation of “small-scale escapist experiences” as she blows smoke filling the floor like dry ice fog and sips tiny drinks.
If there’s anything that can be said of Dry Cleaning it’s that their incredible deadpan delivery of extremely specific, yet relatable sentiments and experiences never misses the mark. Maybe the most memorable and haunting line from the entire collection of incredible one liners is, “do everything, feel nothing.” Simplistic enough on its own, but that statement recalls much bigger themes and ideas in our own lives; the constant barraging of imaging, entertainment, and social stimuli we’ve become so accustomed to as a way of keeping us engaged enough to be complacent, but not to actually get anything accomplished or address our own numbness. We’re all on the hamster wheel, baby. The song also addresses the frustration of finding your purpose in life and resorting to these escapist experiences to hopefully inject some meaning as we fail to pin that purpose down. We’re here for socialization and self-destruction and the hope that will help us get through the day. An ominous wide-eyed warning at the end directed towards the people who have it all together reminds them that one day, they too will have to deal with this struggle for meaning and to not get too comfortable where they’re at.