This track, from Lucinda Williams’ 2001 album Essence, is a perfect example of that record’s spare, haunting loveliness.

Like many songs on the album, ‘Are You Down’ has few lyrics and a whole lot of atmosphere. The interplay of guitar and drums on this track has a distinct Dire Straits vibe, which is certainly a good thing in my book.

At the time, Essence suffered a bit with critics because the long-awaited follow-up to the 1998 classic Car Wheels On a Gravel Road lacked that album’s expansive palette. But over time it has emerged as one of Williams’ most rewarding listens.