Joy Lyrics – Dry Cleaning | from “Secret Love”

Dry Cleaning is closing out Secret Love with Joy, a track that lands like a gentle shove from a friend, urging you to cling to your softer side even when the internet’s underbelly tries to grind it down—out January 9, 2026, on 4AD, with Cate Le Bon’s production giving it that extra layer of wry warmth.

This final cut, clocking in at a brisk 2:53, is Dry Cleaning doing what they do best: twisting spoken-word poetry into post-punk knots. Florence Shaw’s vocals drift over tangled guitars and a rhythm section that tiptoes like it’s dodging landmines—intricate, off-kilter grooves that nod to their Slint-meets-Slint roots but bloom with Le Bon’s ethereal touch. It’s got that signature elastic edge: fuzzy basslines bubbling under Shaw’s matter-of-fact musings, building to a chorus that’s half-chant, half-sigh.

Thematically, it’s a quiet revolt—yearning to “build a cute harmless world” amid “horror land destruction,” flipping off cults and muscle-bound death throes with lines like “No, I’ll build a cute flower border.” Shaw’s called it a naive wish for sweetness in the chaos, a rejection of toxic masculinity that feels ripped from 2025’s headlines, all while chatting hot peppers like it’s small talk at a funeral. Dropped as the latest single just hours ago (with a visualizer starring guitarist Tom Dowse in some BULLYACHE-choreographed fever), it’s already got X timelines stitching it to their live clips from that October Warsaw gig, where Shaw tested it raw onstage.

The full Secret Love dives headfirst into trust as its heartbeat, a theme that threads through these 11 tracks like an old conversation resurfacing over drinks. It kicks off with the propulsive “Hit My Head All Day,” all breathy synths and compulsive hooks, then weaves into quirkier corners: “Cruise Ship Designer” for its surreal travelogue vibes, “My Soul / Half Pint” splitting into dual moods of longing, and “Secret Love (Concealed in a Drawing of a Boy)” hiding emotions in plain sight. Standouts like “Evil Evil Idiot” sharpen the sarcasm, while “Let Me Grow and You’ll See the Fruit” and “Blood” lean into vulnerability’s slow burn. Recorded partly at Jeff Tweedy’s Chicago studio, it’s the band’s most collaborative yet, celebrating the friendships that birthed them—Shaw’s words bouncing off Tom Dowse’s guitar stabs, Nick Buxton’s drums, and Lewis Maynard’s bass.

This release catches Dry Cleaning in a sweet spot, two years after Stumpwork’s rawer edges. They’ve toured with heavyweights like Nick Cave, honing that live-wire energy, but Secret Love feels like a pivot toward something more lived-in. With Le Bon—a longtime pal—steering the ship, it’s less about shock and more about the steady pull of real bonds, showing how these London post-punk vets keep evolving without losing their deadpan soul.

Dive into the Joy lyrics below and unpack its raw narrative. Don’t miss other Secret Love tracks for more of Dry Cleaning’s wry post-punk heart.