Good Swim Delivers Another Emotional Indie-Folk Gem With Sink Like A Stone
Belfast-based singer-songwriter Dave McConnell, aka Good Swim, is enjoying something of a musical resurgence. After taking a twelve-year break from music, McConnell returned in 2025 with a run of singles that quickly earned plenty of attention and saw him become part of Ireland's current indie-folk revival.
Now, with his debut Good Swim album The Mountains Sure Don't Give A Damn About The Sea
just around the corner, McConnell returns with his latest and final single from the record, Sink Like A Stone.
It follows previous releases including Chasing Shadows, A Mark On You
and Paper Tigers
, tracks that have showcased Good Swim's knack for combining atmospheric indie-folk with a dusty, confessional Americana feel.
Good Swim – Sink Like A Stone
McConnell's return to music began with a single recording session with producer Michael Bell at Start Together Studios in Belfast. What was originally intended as a one-off session soon developed into something much bigger, eventually giving birth to the Good Swim project.
That collaboration has produced a collection of deeply personal songs, and Sink Like A Stone
is another strong example of what makes Good Swim stand out.
The track opens with a delicate strummed guitar, setting a suitably intimate tone before McConnell's distinctive vocals enter. From there, layered synth-based string textures and gentle percussion gradually build around the song without ever overpowering it.
It's an understated arrangement, but that's where much of its appeal lies. There's plenty of space for McConnell's vocals and lyrics to take centre stage, allowing the emotion behind the song to come through naturally.
Lyrically, Sink Like A Stone
explores doubt, regret and the feeling of losing control as a relationship begins to fall apart. McConnell fills the song with striking imagery, including ash, broken mirrors, blood and thunder, creating a sense of something slowly becoming impossible to hold together.
As Good Swim explains:
Sink Like a Stone is a rueful look at a relationship gone bad and how the hate that brings can weigh you down and poison every part of you...And it's all your own fault.
That final sentiment is important. Rather than simply pointing the finger at someone else, there's a strong sense of self-reflection running through the track. It's uncomfortable in places, but that honesty is also what gives the song its emotional punch.
A Strong Final Preview Of The Good Swim Album
With more than 60,000 streams already accumulated across his releases, McConnell's return to music has clearly struck a chord.
Sink Like A Stone
continues that momentum while offering another glimpse into The Mountains Sure Don't Give A Damn About The Sea
. The album promises to be a particularly personal release, marking the end of McConnell's twelve-year hiatus and documenting a journey through the seven stages of grief following an unprecedented health journey.
There's a real sense that Good Swim has plenty more to say.
Sink Like A Stone
may be rooted in heartbreak, regret and self-doubt, but musically it's another beautifully restrained piece of indie-folk songwriting. McConnell doesn't need to overcomplicate things. A guitar, subtle textures and an emotionally charged vocal are more than enough to make the song hit home.
Final Verdict
Sink Like A Stone
is another beautifully understated release from Good Swim. Raw, atmospheric and deeply personal, it combines intimate indie-folk songwriting with just enough Americana influence to give it a distinctive character.
After twelve years away, Dave McConnell's return is proving to be well worth the wait, and Sink Like A Stone
leaves us looking forward to hearing the full story when The Mountains Sure Don't Give A Damn About The Sea
arrives.
The single, Sink Like A Stone, is available through all streaming platforms.
Photo Credit: Deci Gallen / Simple Tapestry
