Martin Newell has been making Cleaners From Venus records since 1988, and Beryl & Ruff Go Shopping keeps the project close to its DIY roots. Written and home-recorded in Essex during 2025 and 2026, it was made on an 8-track Portastudio with very little beyond that. The result is a set of alternative pop, jangle pop and power pop shaped by lo-fi edges rather than studio polish.
“Scenes From Smalltown England” and “Neverland For Now” establish the album’s everyday, slightly sideways outlook, while “A Paint-stained Radio”, “Back In Time For The Weekend” and “Star Commander Blue” give the tracklist a playful sense of escape. There are twelve songs here, with “The Dancers of March”, “Murmurations” and “Supermoon” adding further turns away from the straightforward pop tune. Fans of home-recorded indie pop, British jangle and the scruffier side of power pop should find plenty to like, especially if a Portastudio’s rough edges are part of the appeal. Released as a paid digital set with a CD edition, it comes from the long-running Essex Cleaners From Venus project rather than a new band chasing current fashion.
