Soul Wandering

Album: 66 (2024)
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Songfacts®:

  • Over regal horns, organ sections, and a chunky, percussive groove, Paul Weller ponders his place in the universe. Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie wrote the words for the funky rocker, but Weller "totally related" to the sentiment.

    "Maybe it's an age thing," Weller told The Guardian. "When you see the state of the world, what a mess it all is. It's about having something to hold on to, I think. You haven't got to be a Christian; you just have faith in something else beyond the cruelty and the disgusting behavior of the humans. Look for the good in things."
  • "Soul Wandering" is the lead single from Weller's 17th solo album, 66. The Modfather dropped the album on May 24, 2024 – a day shy of his 66th birthday.
  • It seems Weller wasn't feeling particularly loquacious this time around, so he roped in a few mates to help with the lyric-writing. Along with Gillespie, the 66 album also features lyrical contributions from the likes of Suggs and Noel Gallagher.

    "I didn't feel I had so much to say, so I thought, well, I know a lot of other great writers, and I thought I'd utilize that and just kind of get someone else's thoughts or words," Weller told Pop Matters.

    "I've done this sort of thing a few times in recent years, and I've really enjoyed it – singing other people's words," he continued. "When I do that, I'm not as fussy or critical as I would be if they were my lyrics. I can spend days sometimes just thinking about one line. When you've got someone else's words, you're just there as a vocalist to interpret them."
  • Weller plays the electric guitar, acoustic guitar and electric piano himself. The other musicians are:

    Josh McClorey: electric guitar
    Steve Cradock: electric guitar
    Jake Fletcher: bass
    Ben Gordelier: drums
    Dave Boraston: flugelhorn
    Steve Trigg: flugelhorn
    Louise Marshall: background vocals
    Sumudu Jayatilaka: background vocals

    Josh McClorey is the lead guitarist of the Irish rock band The Strypes. They've supported Weller on tour in the past.

    Steve Cradock has played alongside Weller consistently since his 1993 sophomore album, Wild Wood. "He's a tremendous guitarist," Weller told Pop Matters of Cradock. "He's always up for the challenge of trying something different. It's hard to find that sort of musician."

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