Paul Weller

Paul Weller has been a prominent voice for various generations, and this new single displays Weller’s relevance to the industry many decades on. ‘Change What You Can’ is the first track from Weller’s upcoming EP, ‘Supplement: 66’ and in doing so, Weller proves his relatability with smooth vocal tones and a chilling instrumental.

The track commences with the lyrics, “blue skies fly above me / morning birds start again / they sing so pure and lovely / sing, change what you can”. Weller refers to nature as a form of solace, in aid of remaining hopeful when the “grey skies” overcome him. The prevalence of nature for Weller is furthered through the lyric video and visual released alongside the single.

The hopefulness which Weller presents throughout ‘Change What You Can’ is an incredibly prominent theme throughout Weller’s discography. As the frontman to The Jam from the 1970s to early 1980s, Weller consistently voiced his socio-political concerns alongside punchy instrumentation to influence himself and his listeners to remain hopeful for the future. However, this newest single takes a stripped back approach from his time in The Jam and The Style Council by utilising a rugged vocal alongside serene melodical contributions from multiple flutes and a guitar to indicate a heartfelt introspection of hope.

As the second verse concludes, a flute instrumental is at the forefront of the track to further reiterate Weller’s ability to sonically evolve and experiment with new styles and sounds. The themes of hope and bettering oneself continue to persist when Weller concludes with the final remark: “I’ll aim to change what I can”.

It is certainly commendable to witness Weller occupying his new sonic space, ‘Change What You Can’ feels fresh and new whilst still being quintessentially Weller.