Beth Gibbons needs no introduction in the music world as the singer and lyricist for acclaimed trio Portishead. Everything she touches turns to gold quite literally with 3 acclaimed albums under the Portishead name. Despite her long 3 decade career, “Lives Outgrown” is Gibbons debut album and continues her streak of critical acclaim. It is an album that is aided by how sparingly she releases music, allowing one to delve deeper and appreciate her work especially when comparing to the trip hop sound her band bursted on the scene with. Sonically it is a completely different pallet than what we are used to. The grim sound is a a slow burner and took a few songs to really stand out, however when it does it is amazing (Lost Changes and For Sale are tracks that particularly stand out). Not every track is perfect but in the context of the album and its themes of mortality and time they fit well. Rather simply Gibbons took her time and delivered a project that will last. It is also be a testament to Gibbons musical ability and longevity to potentially win the Mercury Prize 29 years after Portishead own win.
Cat Burns is a strong contender for this year’s Mercury Prize with her debut studio album, “early twenties”. Hailing from South London, Burns is on the rise with her powerful vocals and poignant lyrics, there’s something deeply human about her approach to songwriting. Burns often weaves the uncertainty of adulthood into her music, making it a recurring theme that resonates with many listeners.
At the age of sixteen, whilst studying at The BRIT school, Burns recorded her debut EP, ‘Adolescent”. She collaborated with another student who had a recording studio in their garden shed, which was the birthplace of the songs that became the foundation of her EP. Burns self-released “Adolescent” on the 1st of October 2016 however her efforts to secure a record deal were unsuccessful as the music industry seemed unsure on how to market her distinctive style as an artist.
Burns meditates on love, heartbreak and growing pains in the aptly named “early twenties”; the album perfectly captures the turbulent ebb and flow of adulthood, starting off with a powerful “alone”. She grew up listening to gospel music and the choral beginning of the song reflects this, it lets way into her all-too-relatable lyrics about the struggles of being single and finding love in the 21st century. The catchy ‘boy crazy’ seamlessly transitions into the bedroom pop-esque ‘this is what happens’ chronicling Burns’ battle with anxiety. “go (goddard. Remix)” is a popular favourite; amid the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, she gained attention by sharing covers and original songs on TikTok. “go” went viral which led to her securing a record deal with Since 93, a subsidiary of RCA Records.
Following the highly-praised release of her Choice Music Prize-winning debut album ‘If My Wife New I’d Be Dead’, CMAT’s 2023 Mercury-shortlisted follow-up ‘Crazymad, For Me’ arguably changed the trajectory of the Irish country-pop legend’s career. A concept album themed around a malfunctioning time machine that explores CMAT’s fascination with 1980s Paris, ‘Crazymad, For Me’ tackles the story of a breakup through CMAT’s unmistakably unique instrumental sound and Kate Bush-esque vocals. The project (described by CMAT as ‘like Bat Out Of Hell but for the girls’) also spawned the most iconic pop culture moments for CMAT, real name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, too. Whether it be the stunning crack-revealing BRIT Awards dress (dubbed ‘CMARSE’), or countless primetime TV appearances (Jools Holland, Graham Norton, Lorraine) and unlikely collaborations with legends such as Lorraine Bowen or Miriam Margolyes, ‘Crazymad, For Me’ propelled Ireland’s hidden gem into an internationally loved star. An all-rounder, it shows CMAT’s emotional maturity and incredible skill in songwriting, and is an album that has cultivated an even larger and more loyal audience of teen fan girls, BBC Radio 6 Music Dads, and middle aged women. It’s a CMAT Summer.
As much as we all love Corinne Bailey Rae’s classic hit ‘Put Your Records On’, in the wake of her newest project ‘Black Rainbows’, her defining 2006 R&B hit seems barely worth thinking about.
The record showcases a remarkable array of genres, including punk rock, soul, jazz, and psychedelia, unfolding like a sonic masquerade, with Bailey Rae switching masks and embodying different characters and emotions inspired by a Black history exhibition she attended in Chicago.
From the energetic chaos of “New York Transit Queen” to the enchanting and seductive allure of “He Will Follow You With His Eyes,” to the ethereal epic of “Before The Throne Of The Invisible God,” Bailey Rae creates an intriguing and deep collage of genres, styles, textures, and soundscapes.
Black Rainbows is boldly conceptual, challenging, and represents a complete artistic transformation, drawing emotion from both the spiritual and the very real spectrum of experiences within Black history.
Having received widespread critical acclaim, scoring an impressive 91 on AOTY’s aggregated critic score, Bailey Rae would be right to fancy her chances of clinching ‘Album of The Year’ at the Mercury Prize Awards.
English Teacher are a band that I think have been unfairly categorised simply as post-punk for the past couple of years – the band have previously stated that they prefer for their work to be called “silly noisy guitar music” – and nothing has proved me more right than their debut album, “This Could Be Texas”, one of the most sonically diverse, ambitious and outright evocative records of the year. The band (who formed originally as ‘Frank’ in 2018 after meeting at Leeds Conservatoire) have previously enjoyed critical acclaim on their 2022 EP “Polyawkward” (yes, that is a reference to a rare medical condition involving the testicles) but nothing to the level of the success the Leeds-based 4-piece are garnering through “This Could Be Texas”, a record smothered with such critical acclaim that The Line Of Best Fit have suggested it “could be one of the finest debuts of the decade” – acclaim that – while not at all surprising for long-time fans of the band who’ve recognised their masses of talent, from an outsider could seem somewhat unprecedented; why has this young Northern band’s debut record been shortlisted for a Mercury Prize? Frankly, the jittering, urgent, angular yet inexplicably neat soundscape of “…Texas” is like nothing we’ve seen this year, nor this decade. It’s a perfectly polished piece of work that has paid off massively for the band, and not only in cultural relevance for the upstart, with this Mercury shortlist acting as a tangible representation of the effort English Teacher have put into their music.
For many, it’s no shock that Birmingham junglist and heralded producer Nia Archive’s debut album, ‘Silence is Loud,’ has claimed a spot on the 2024 Mercury Prize ‘Album of the Year’ nominees list. With every release ahead of the nominated ‘Silence is Loud’, Nia Archives has transported her listeners to the thick of 90s junglist culture, simultaneously providing a lesson on the sub-genre’s grass roots DNA.
What’s distinctive about the Birmingham-hailing artist’s output to date is its authenticity, which pays homage to a genre that rarely reaches the mainstream. Yet, Nia has charmed the UK charts and opened Beyoncé’s 2023 London gigs, milestones any prominent musician would revel in. Since her early releases she has continued championing the same authentic jungle backbone which traverses into her debut album. ‘Silence is Loud’ is meticulously legitimate and heartily emotive, as she stamps the project with the spirited melodies of a self-proclaimed ‘emotional junglist’.
The nominated album feels multifaceted, much like the producer herself, brimming with sonic nostalgia for any Brit who consciously experienced the early 2000s. Inspired by Amy Winehouse and Goldie, her new-gen drum n bass nods to some of the UK’s most celebrated soul, britpop and dance musicians. As a DJ and producer Nia Archives has continually demonstrated a sensitivity to the crowds she plays to and scene in which they inhabit, and while her now expansive fan base continues to grow the spotlight shines brightly on her as a strong contender for this year’s Mercury Prize ‘Album of the Year’.
The debut album: a chance for new talent to take a cautionary step into the industry. But Last Dinner Party isn’t here for such trivialities. It’s difficult to remember the last time a band elected to introduce their debut album with an orchestral overture, let alone a rock band. Yet woodwind, brass and strings embellished with cymbals and lusty harps produce an enigmatic sound that is unmistakably curious.
However, I must discourage listeners from relating this unhackneyed musical perspective with inexperience; 2024 saw the band in receipt of both this year’s BBC Sound of… award and the Brits’ Rising Star. Their preceding 12 months have seen exponential growth, despite the inevitable ‘industry plant’ furore that is as common as Russian bot twitter sleuths crying wolf; a typical Tuesday for artists enjoying rapid success.
But Prelude to Ecstasy has weathered the storm. It’s rebellious, outrageous – but that is exactly the point: an unapologetic strike against contemporary music that will only serve to further their legend.