There is much to celebrate here: the playful and effervescent lyricism, the primacy of the minor II chord, and the capo-ed intonation from what sounds like a hollow-body or acoustic-electric guitar. It's all here - the riffs high on the neck, the egg shaker, and the continual introduction of new thematic material.
A lesser human would have banked on such a nice turn of phrase:
“I’ve been lying in the dark with no light in my soul
I’ve been searching for diamonds
in a pile of coal”— Passenger
As you listen, it becomes clear that lyrical parsimony is not a priority for Passenger. The metaphors keep coming like chess pieces getting dropped on a picnic blanket. Only by the end do you see how they all fit together:
“I left my frying pan to jump into the fire
I built my house on the sand
and I keep on building it higher”— Passenger
The pop content is so effortless, the vocals so warm, the images so vivid: this song is well-written and supplies a perfect melodic background for the personal discovery that is evident here.
Passenger is one of the most successful UK artists of this decade. This song is featured on our Roots Collection playlist.