Stumpwork (album)

Stumpwork is the second studio album by English post-punk band Dry Cleaning. It was released on 21 October 2022, on 4AD Records.

Stumpwork
Studio album by Dry Cleaning
Released	21 October 2022 (2022-10-21)
Studio	Rockfield Studios, Wales
Genre	Post-punk indie rock art punk
Length	45:16
Label	4AD
Producer	John Parish
Dry Cleaning chronology
Tascam Tapes (2021) Stumpwork (2022) Swampy (2023)
Singles from Stumpwork
"Don't Press Me" Released: 14 June 2022 "Anna Calls From the Arctic" Released: 26 July 2022 "Gary Ashby" Released: 7 September 2022 "No Decent Shoes for Rain" Released: 11 October 2022

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.4/10[1]
Metacritic	85/100[2]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
The Guardian	[4]
The Independent	[5]
Mojo	[6]
NME	[7]
Paste	8.3/10[8]
Pitchfork	7.8/10[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]
Uncut	9/10[11]
Under the Radar	8.5/10[12]

Background

In June 2022, the band announced a new single, "Don't Press Me", which premiered on BBC Radio 6 Music on 14 June. That same day they announced that their second album Stumpwork would be released on 21 October 2022.^[13][14] As with their debut, the album was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales, and produced by John Parish.^[15]

Critical reception

At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards the art directors of Stumpwork — Luke Brooks, James Theseus Buck and Annie Collinge — won the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package for the album. ^[16][17]

Year-end lists

Publication	List	Rank	Ref
Crack	Best Albums of 2022	38	[18]
DIY	DIY's Albums of 2022	10	[19]
Mojo	The 50 Best Albums of 2022	9	[20]
NME	The 50 Best Albums of 2022	25	[21]
Northern Transmission	Top 50 Albums of 2022	27
Paste	The 50 Best Albums of 2022	37	[22]
Popmatters	The 25 Best Indie Albums of 2022	4	[23]
Slant Magazine	The 50 Best Albums of 2022	31	[24]
Slate	The Best Albums of 2022	Honorable Mention	[25]
Uncut	The Best New Albums of 2022	24	[26]
Under the Radar	The 100 Best Albums of 2022	13	[27]
Uproxx	The Best Indie Albums of 2022	N/A	[28]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Florence Shaw; all music is composed by Florence Shaw, Lewis Maynard, Tom Dowse, and Nick Buxton.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Anna Calls from the Arctic"	4:57
2.	"Kwenchy Kups"	2:45
3.	"Gary Ashby"	2:10
4.	"Driver's Story"	3:41
5.	"Hot Penny Day"	3:37
6.	"Stumpwork"	4:11
7.	"No Decent Shoes for Rain"	5:57
8.	"Don't Press Me"	1:50
9.	"Conservative Hell"	3:48
10.	"Liberty Log"	6:52
11.	"Icebergs"	5:23
Total length:		45:16

Personnel

Dry Cleaning

• Florence Shaw – vocals, percussion, engineering
• Lewis Maynard – bass, bird calls, double bass, organ, percussion
• Tom Dowse – guitar, kazoo, keyboards, lap steel guitar, loops, percussion, whistle
• Nick Buxton – clarinet, drums, drum programming, horn arrangements, keyboards, percussion, synthesizer, tenor saxophone, vibraphone

Additional personnel

• John Parish – production, mixing, engineering, percussion, piano, trombone, vibraphone
• Jason Mitchell – mastering
• Ali Chant – mixing
• Oliver Baldwin – mix engineering, engineering
• Fabian Prynn – engineering
• Joe Jones – engineering, field recording, tape transfer
• Gavin Fitzjohn – baritone saxophone, flugelhorn, tenor saxophone, trumpet
• Rottingdean Bazaar – creative direction, artwork, design
• Annie Collinge – artwork, design, photography
• Claire Huss – graphic design

Charts

Chart performance for Stumpwork

Chart (2022)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[29]	77
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[30]	30
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[31]	135
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[32]	51
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[33]	33
Scottish Albums (OCC)[34]	9
UK Albums (OCC)[35]	11
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[36]	4
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[37]	13
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[38]	34