London rock outfit Palace return with Lover (Don’t Let Me Down), a haunting catharsis set to a shuffling sway.
Off the back of their 2019 sophomore, Life After, Palace continued to fine-tune their warm and rich textures for the next full-length, Shoals (slated for a January release). We’ve been given a glimpse into the pensive world of Shoals with this new single, and I must give a word of caution.
Lover (Don’t Let Me Down) might be the band’s most affecting release to date.
Lover (Don’t Let Me Down) opens the fold with wandering electric reverb, grounded by a softly secure drum pattern that reveals the 6/8 time signature. “Said it straight from the heart”, Leo Wyndham sings, like his life depends on it.
In an interview with NME, the singer opened up the writing process, following a nine-month battle with COVID-19. “I felt very lethargic and heavy. I had terrible chest cramps. I started to fear it might even threaten my career”
The emotional significance of returning to music rings through in the dreamy track, giving the single a cathartic pull. Wyndham pulls in and out of falsetto, lifting your spirits up, and crushing them down all at once.
Lyrically, the track deals in absolutes; “I love you I love you till the end of time”, offering profound proclamations of hope. However, all this powerful love is shrouded in Jeff Buckley-inspired electrics, shrouding the tale in melancholy.
At a galloping pace, the drums and gentle guitar embellishments ride us through the motions of love at its most intoxicating. You know it – that feeling when you can’t break free from the tunnel vision of one another.
The music video is dimly lit, spotlighting photo book moments of faces, candles, and partners, reflecting the sonic world built on hope. It’s in this darkness that Palace shines brightest. Lover (Don’t Let Me Down) is just everything you could ever ask for in a carefully constructed billet-doux; dynamics, rhythmic surge, aching relatability, and a chorus to belt.
Lover (Don’t Let Me Down) is out now via Fiction Records / Virgin Music Australia. Stream or purchase the single here.
