The Permanent Collection: 017 & 018

The Permanent Collection is a weekly log of my favourite tracks in the entire world. This isn’t a ranking, but a space where I can share my deepest music loves with you in a more intimate setting. Paid subscribers get access to the full archive, bonus songs and a playlist.

017: Wham! - Nothing Looks the Same In the Light (1983)

Ah yes, the gem that I play out far far too often.

For those who lived through the Wham era, I’m sure this is an old classic. But as a person who wasn’t yet alive when this came out, this became like gold dust when I found it.

From their 1983 debut album (look how young they are!), Nothing Looks the Same In the Light is an incredibly groovy, six minute pop song that explores the harsh light the day after a one night stand.

The protagonist (George I guess) doesn’t want the night to end. He doesn’t want to fall asleep. He doesn’t want to know how they will feel about each other in the morning. So let’s just stay in this very moment.

Personally, I just love George’s breathiness. I love the groove. I love the synth bass. I love the thin but soul-stepping drums. The title of the track is everything. It makes the song. To be honest, if it was just the instrumental and the chorus, I wouldn’t be mad.

There’s something effortless about how this song takes its time. It doesn’t “go anywhere” in a sense, it doesn’t get more complicated, or feel the need to be two and a half minutes long. It just develops in its pocket and sits there, almost like the protagonist not wanting to move on from the night that was.

Thanks for reading this week’s edition! 018 is below for paid subscribers.