“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life,” the 18th-century English writer Samuel Johnson quipped. The Golden Dregs’ fourth album, Godspeed, is a paean to London, specifically to the people who make up the city, whose existence is its pulse, and whose stories, whether good or bad, reflect the city. In other words, Godspeed is a blessing, a blessing for the denizens of London.
This is the second Golden Dregs album to fore- ground a city — On Grace & Dignity (2023), their first and last record released by the British label 4AD, is in part a condemnation of gentrification in Cornwall, as locals found themselves priced out by wealthy individuals buying holiday homes. Godspeed tells the story of ordinary people experiencing ordinary moments in London.