Piroshka - Love Drips & Gathers

Bella Union announce the release of Piroshka’s stunning second album, ‘Love Drips And Gathers’. The album builds on the acclaim of the band’s 2018 debut LP ‘Brickbat’ and the reputations of former members of Lush, Moose, Elastica and Modern English.

Piroshka emerged in 2018, four individuals with distinct musical identities but also overlapping histories - a combination that might have unsettled, or even  overwhelmed, some bands. But in their case, the bond only got stronger. After ‘Brickbat’ explored social and political divisions by way of what MOJO described as “Forceful, driving garage songs and dream-pop epics,” ‘Love Drips And Gathers’ follows a more introspective line - the ties that bind us, as lovers, parents, children, friends - to a suitably subtler, more ethereal sound, whilst still revelling in energy and drama.

“If ‘Brickbat’ was our Britpop album, then ‘Love Drips And Gathers’ is shoegaze!” reckons vocalist/guitarist Miki Berenyi, formerly of Lush, a band that effortlessly bridged the two genres like no other. “It wasn’t intentional; we just wanted a different focus. I’ve always seen debut albums as capturing a band’s first moments, when you really have momentum, and then the second album is the chance for a more thoughtful approach.”

Bassist Mick Conroy (Modern English) agrees. “‘Brickbat’ was a classic first album; noisy and raucous. On ‘Love Drips And Gathers’, we’ve calmed down and explored sounds, and space.”

The way ‘Love Drips And Gathers’ changes shape and dynamic is less a reprise of Nineties Brit indie than a transformation into a more shivery, Euromantic version with glistening electronic filigrees. The opening ‘Hastings’ sets the tone. Luminous drops of guitar underpin Miki’s becalmed vocal before drums, bass and a Mellotron add pace while the decorative coda features their old pal Terry Edwards on flugelhorn.

‘Love Drips And Gathers’ - named after a line in a Dylan Thomas poem - was inspired by love, family, belonging, memory. Miki and Moose split the eight lyrics, with some poignant overlaps here too. Miki’s ‘Loveable’ looks to Moose; Moose’s ‘The Knife-Thrower’s Daughter’ looks to Miki but also their daughter Stella and his sister Anna; an empathic, touching embrace of the women in his life.

Staying within the family, Moose eulogises his late mother (the idyllic childhood seaside trip of ‘Hastings 1973’) and father (the more conflicted ‘Scratching At The Lid’). On ‘V.O.’, Miki pays fond tribute to Vaughan Oliver, 4AD’s legendary in-house art director who died suddenly in December 2019 and who had a particularly close relationship with Lush during their time on the label (like ‘Brickbat’, ‘Love Drips And Gathers’’ beautiful and enigmatic artwork is by Vaughan’s former design partner Chris Bigg).

LP pressed on clear vinyl.

Tracklisting
Hastings 1973
The Knife Thrower's
Daughter
Scratching at the Lid
Loveable
V.O.
Wanderlust
Echo Loco
Familiar
We Told You