We’ve been holding out hope for this moment—and it’s finally here. After a prolonged, contemplative silence following one of the most extraordinary debut albums of recent memory, For Those I Love is back. The Dublin-based project from David Balfe has returned with the arresting new single Of The Sorrows, his first new material since 2021’s Choice Prize-winning self-titled debut. And from the first beat, it’s clear the wait has been more than worth it.

Of The Sorrows is a wrenching, deeply personal reflection on displacement, grief, and the emotional tightrope walk of staying loyal to a city that no longer feels like home. Laced with Balfe’s signature spoken-word delivery—honest, poetic, and raw—the track marries atmospheric production with aching vulnerability. The accompanying self-directed video, shot over hundreds of hours (and at the cost of a broken leg), is a visceral companion piece that shows Balfe’s unwavering commitment to the craft.

Photo Credit: Rich Gilligan

As with his debut, the track uses pulsing electronics and emotive samples to draw you into its orbit, but the lens has shifted from personal loss to broader social disillusionment. It captures a sense of suffocation that will be all too familiar to many in Dublin and beyond—of being priced out, edged out, yet still trying to belong.

We’ve been fans since the first play of I Have A Love, and Of The Sorrows is a triumphant, stirring return that suggests we’re only just scratching the surface of Balfe’s vision. If this track is any indication of what’s to come, 2025 could mark another essential chapter in his remarkable journey.

We can’t wait to hear more—and fingers crossed we’ll be catching him live again very soon.

Check out our previous coverage of For Those I Love here.