W.H. Lung Share Hypnotic New One-Off Single, “Symmetry”

Manchester trio W.H. Lung released their debut album Incidental Music—a thrilling and expansive collection of songs that range from synth-pop and post-punk to krautrock and psych-pop—earlier this year via Melodic Records, and today (Oct. 29), they’re sharing their first taste of brand new music in the form of a one-off charity single. The band will donate the profits of their new single, “Symmetry,” to Mustard Tree and Booth Centre, two local charities dedicated to helping the homeless. Paste recently named W.H. Lung one of 15 acts to see at the internationally renowned music showcase festival Iceland Airwaves, which Paste is covering next month.

Contrary to its mirrored title, “Symmetry” is indicative of two alternate realities. The band describe their city’s gloried past through regal statues of notable figures like Alan Turing, Friedrich Engels and Queen Victoria, and juxtapose it with the sizable homeless population that now lives in the literal shadows of their towering presence. The near-seven-minute track uncoils with hypnotic dissonance, further underscoring the inconsistencies of a place where impoverished people sleep among grand displays of human achievement. Lead vocalist Joseph E sings with silky intrigue among clamoring guitars, “A body curled around a lamppost like a cigarette in light rain / Something like a question mark is hanging between thumb and forefinger.”

E says of the track, “There’s a statue of Alan Turing in a small park just off canal street in Manchester city centre. The statue has always struck me as odd, the face is quite childishly done and Turing seems to be offering his fruit to passersby. People often sit with him and take pictures. The park is also regularly attended by the homeless community of Manchester. As visible a presence on the streets now as the statues of the great and famous.”

Listen to “Symmetry” and check out W.H. Lung’s upcoming tour dates below.

W.H. Lung Tour Dates:

November
06-09 – Reykjavík, Iceland @ Iceland Airwaves
22 – Newcastle, U.K. @ Riverside
23 – Bath, U.K. @ Moles
24 – Brighton, U.K. @ Patterns
25 – London, U.K. @ Rich Mix
26 – Manchester, U.K. @ Academy 3