It was a song I…kind of avoided listening to over the past few years. I don’t really know why, for sure. Maybe an intuition? I’ve probably only listened to the Lostboy! version about three times in total.
Perhaps something was telling me it was…incomplete…and that it would be reworked. I genuinely don’t know why I never sought it out much. I’m a lazy git? I mean, I know there are other SM songs around…Freedom Angel, etc…ones that have never got an official release. Or some bonus tracks on CDs I don’t listen to much. Sense Of Discovery was in that camp. In my “I don’t really listen to that one often” camp.
And so when it became clear it HAD been reworked and was a track on Walk Between Worlds…I purposefully AVOIDED going near the existing versions that were available to hear on YouTube. I didn’t want my unfamiliarity with it tainted. I was glad to be unfamiliar with it.
On Thursday night, I was in a buoyant frame of mind as Jim and Charlie joined Steve Lamacq for their airtime with him. And then me getting all abuzz from Lammo calling me “Prip” on air and reading half of my tweet out. I was distracted by all that, so when Sense Of Discovery aired I was too distracted to give it due attention.
Later that night I gave it another listen…but with Steve talking over the intro (despite saying he didn’t want to do that!) and all of that…I still felt too distracted. I dunno. It just wasn’t going in. I wanted to give it space, room…my absolute undivided attention.
I was hoping it was going to be out as a single and I’d hear it at full length with no interruptions. It wasn’t on YT as audio, or available to download as I retired for the night. I was hopeful for the next morning.
So, yesterday morning, the downloads and YouTube audio were available. I had the space and time I needed to just breathe, sit and listen.
WOW! IT IS BEAUTIFUL! I mean…really beautiful. I thought Spirited Away kicked me in the chest with its beauty…but wow!
All three songs from the album so far have been great. The next superseding the previous. And with the varying SM “trademarks”. Magic…the optimistic, poppy amazingly catchy ray of sunshine. The Signal And The Noise…epic, dramatic, dark…signature Burchill guitar – that “black light”. And then…Sense Of Discovery…a different element of the “black light”. Sweeping, grandiose…melancholia weaving through it…but such beautiful hope and joy. Really very akin…for me personally…of the feelings I get from Wonderful In Young Life. It’s like…Wonderful In Mature Life – if that at all makes sense?
Jim has said it was written from the perspective of an older person looking back on a life lived. And…that is why I hear Wonderful In “Mature Life”.
That first proper listen I had of it…the “put your hand on it” line…just…OMG, the tears!
I don’t know how they do it. I don’t know how you put such a blend of optimistic melancholy together like that. How you mash it up. It just has such depth and magnitude.
I am really stunned by it. Really stunned. Awed. FLOORED!
Last night, when I settled into bed, I opened Spotify and played it on repeat. Over and over. I cried at first…but just kept playing it again and again and again. I must have played it 30 times overnight.
I think it may have nudged Spirited Away out of my Top 3 SM songs.
