Piroshka - Love Drips And Gathers (LP) - Clear Vinyl

Piroshka’s second LP lands like a hazy memory you want to climb back into. Released in July 2021 on Bella Union, Love Drips And Gathers softens the jagged edges of the band’s 2019 debut, Brickbat, and leans into something more swoony and spacious. That makes sense, given who is in the room. Miki Berenyi’s unmistakable voice is still the anchor, floating over the interplay of KJ “Moose” McKillop’s layered guitars, Mick Conroy’s melodic bass, and Justin Welch’s unfussy but exact drumming. It is the sort of lineup that makes you glance at the sleeve notes before needle-drop, remembering Lush, Moose, Modern English and Elastica, then smiling when the music coils into one patient, glowing whole.

The opener nudges you into that glow and never rushes. Textures are the story here. Guitars shimmer rather than bite. Basslines push the songs forward in gentle arcs. Welch gives everything a steady backbone, not showy, just right. Berenyi sounds settled and curious, often wrapping harmonies around herself in a way that tilts these songs toward dream pop without losing their pulse. It is a record that invites repeat plays, more for feel than fireworks, yet it has enough hooks to keep you awake under the haze.

“Scratching at the Lid” is the gateway. On first pass it feels diaphanous, then you start to catch the grit hidden in the guitar overtones and the way the rhythm section holds the floor. “Loveable” goes for a quieter glow, almost a sigh that becomes a refrain. There is something generous about how these songs leave room for air, how they trust a simple line to carry the mood rather than stacking parts just because they can.

The emotional centre arrives with “V.O.” The title nods to the late Vaughan Oliver, whose work defined much of the visual world around 4AD, the label that once housed Lush and Modern English. The tribute is tender without turning inward, and it says a lot about this band’s roots. You can hear the respect in the pacing, the way the arrangement lets Berenyi’s voice hang on the tail of a phrase, as if she is looking at an old sleeve on a quiet afternoon. It is one of those songs where the story strengthens the sound, but the sound holds on its own.

There is an elegance to the production that suits vinyl. Bella Union presses tend to do justice to atmosphere, and Love Drips And Gathers vinyl plays like an evening record, side A easing you in, side B going a shade deeper and stranger. The stereo field is used with care. Guitars bloom at the edges, vocals sit just off centre, bass moves in a warm line through the middle. If you like to build shelves around mood and colour, this belongs near the Cocteau Twins end of the spectrum, but with more grounded rhythm and a post-punk sensibility peeking through.

People love to call bands like this a supergroup, which can feel like a burden. What wins here is chemistry. Conroy’s playing especially deserves a mention, because his bass often carries the melodic thread, freeing McKillop to paint with tone and texture. Welch does what great drummers do, he makes the band sound bigger by doing less. And Berenyi, whose voice defined a lot of 90s indie daydreams, sounds present and unforced. You hear experience, but also a desire to keep moving.

If you are hunting for Piroshka vinyl, this is the one that rewards a proper listen, not just a spin while you cook. The slower tempos, the layered vocals, the small decisions tucked into the corners, they reveal themselves over weeks. In a Melbourne record store I would file it with a little handwritten card that says play at dusk, curtain open, lights off. And if you are not near a shop, you can buy Piroshka records online with a clear conscience, because this pressing earns its shelf space. It also helps that Piroshka albums on vinyl tend to be well put together, sleeves you actually want to touch, the sort of thing that reminds you why vinyl records Australia still have a life beyond nostalgia.

Love Drips And Gathers is quieter than the debut, but that quiet holds a charge. It is an album about staying connected, to people and to the sounds that shaped you, and it does that without leaning on retro poses. Let it breathe, let the room go still, and you will hear how carefully it has been built. Then you flip it back to side A and do it again.