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Willie Dowling returns with a single that feels like someone hitting you with pure, unfiltered emotion. "Long Drop Down," the new single from his critically acclaimed album "The Simpleton," it's hard not to get pulled into its gravity. From its opening note, the song is a clinic on melodic tension and release, blending Dowling's trademark lyrical craftsmanship with a richness that sounds both contemporary and classic.
On the track, Dowling masterfully plies the uncertain ground of human frailty with a grace that one would expect from a seasoned songwriter. His vocals, never laryngitic but loose and controlled, swim over a rhythm section held down by the very able Andy Lewis on bass and Darby Todd on drums. Their chemistry is palpable, making for a groove that is as imperious as it is intimate. Every instrumental flutter informs the story, pulling the listener further into the emotional undertow of the song.
A stunning video accompanies the release, shot and directed by James Heron, out now on YouTube. It's a thematic visual extension of the song, with imagery that reflects the tension, release, and emotional vertigo Dowling dives into with his lyrics. Heron's direction captures the openness of the music, animating every frame with the instability of a memory that won't quite leave you alone once the video is over.
Fans won't have to wait too long to hear "Long Drop Down" live. Dowling, Lewis, and Todd are playing some UK dates in September. For those desperate to experience the full Dowling, there will be three headline shows in late October and early November. West Hampstead Arts Club on October 23rd, The Stables, Milton Keynes on October 24th, and The Copper Bar, Manchester on November 2nd matinee. Each show offers soundsystem-shattering intimacy with one of contemporary music's most considered performers.