FEATURE:
Plenty Great About Britain and Ireland
IN THIS PHOTO: slowthai is among the favourites to win this year’s Mercury Prize for his debut album, Nothing Great About Britain/PHOTO CREDIT: Crowns & Owls
Is 2019’s Mercury Prize Shortlist the Strongest Yet?
__________
TOMORROW is the day we will find out…
IN THIS PHOTO: IDLES are hotly tipped for Joy as an Act of Resistance/PHOTO CREDIT: Charlotte Patmore
who walks away with the converted Mercury Prize. Every year when the shortlisted artists are announced, there is division and consternation. Inevitably, there are albums and artists that do not make the cut that, perhaps, should have. One cannot include every artist given the fact only a dozen albums can make it onto the shortlist. I think it is hard to draw a line but, the fact there is so much debate goes to show how many strong British and Irish albums arrive each year. One could argue a little flexibility is in order regarding the number of acts nominated; maybe widening the shortlist to fifteen or even taking it up to thirteen. Even then, one feels there will be some lauded albums that are not included. Come tomorrow evening, we will know which of the twelve nominated acts takes the prize (the ceremony will be hosted by Lauren Laverne). It is exciting to speculate and, as soon as the winner is announced, people will take to social media. At the moment, it seems like slowthai’s Nothing Great About Britain (more on that later), IDLES’ Joy as an Act of Resistance and Dave’s PSYCHODRAMA are leading the bookies’ race; Anna Calvi’s Hunter seems to be a public favourite that is in with a great shot. One cannot discount The 1975’s A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships, black midi’s Schlagenheim and Cate Le Bon’s Reward. I will nod back to some memorable years from the Mercury Prize but, when we look at the albums from this year, there is so much passion and ambition in display. If the past few years have been mixed and not quite as inspiring as one had hoped, there are no gaps and cracks in 2019.
So strong is the field that we can mix potent and eye-opening albums from Dave, IDLES and slowthai alongside a wondrous album from Anna Calvi – Hunter is the third album from Calvi and the third time she has been nominated for a Mercury (she has never won one). The favourites have been presented and pitted, but those further down the bookies’ rankings are much stronger than previous years. Foals’ Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 is a tremendous album that is more electronic and varied than previous efforts from the band – they have stated Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 2 will have more bangers on it. I think newcomers Fontaines D.C. could shock with Dogrel. It is such a rich album from the Dublin band and easily nestles alongside IDLES, even though the two bands cannot be that easily compared. Little Simz’s GREY Area is another release that shows how strong British Hip-Hop and Rap is right now. In past years, the likes of Loyle Carner and Kate Tempest have been shortlisted, but I think the trio of Dave, Little Simz and slowthai are the strongest Hip-Hop/Rap acts we have ever seen! Maybe it is the changing political situation but artists in Britain and Ireland are reacting with incredibly strong and powerful music. Every year sees less popular albums included but, whereas some years have had a few weak albums in the pack, Nao’s Saturn and SEED Ensemble’s Drifftglass are fantastic.
IN THIS PHOTO: Little Simz is one of the strongest voices in Rap and Hip-Hop right now/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
The benefit of being on the shortlist is increased attention and a boost in streaming figures so, although these acts are unlikely to win, they will already be seeing the benefits of nomination. Naturally, the Mercury judges cannot include all the great British and Irish albums from the past year and open the door for all genres (there has been criticism that, once again, Metal has been excluded). Not only is 2019’s shortlist packed with variation and a mixture of newer acts and established musicians but, as this article explains, politics and social awareness are at the top of the musical agenda:
“From the top of its carefully-mussed hair to the tip of its trendy boots, the latest shortlist for best British or Irish album of the past 12 months rates as one of the most politically and socially engaged, and outraged, in the Mercury’s 27-year history.
Patriarchy-toppling rockers Idles share the podium with “voice of forgotten Britain” rapper slowthai and take-no-prisoners rhymer Little Simz. Streatham grime champ Dave brings us frontline reports of police violence against the black community. Foals ponder the irreversibility of global warming. Happy clappy singalongs are entirely absent.
Each of these artists is, in their own way, a light in the dark. Their music provides crucial illumination as we seek to negotiate the age of proroguing PMs, tweeting tyrants and climate change.
This year’s hopefuls are, by contrast, throwing open the shutters and rushing to meet the world head-on. Even the preening pop stars on the list seem to understand something has changed – that, as artists, it is their duty to stand up and be counted. Matty Healy of The 1975 is coming out swinging. His band’s third album, A Brief History of Online Relationships, muses on the horrors wrought by social media and smartphone addiction”.
If you need a reminder of the artists and albums in the running this year, there is a great podcast series that introduces you to them. Even though she is seen as an outside shot this year, few can overlook Cate Le Bon’s excellent Reward. It is one of those albums that received some big reviews and would be a favourite in any other years. This article from The Evening Standard, they caught up with Le Bon and what she thinks of her chances (she also mentioned how, if she wins, she’ll buy herself some tools!):
“This time, finally, the 36-year-old, born Cate Timothy in Carmarthenshire, is nominated in her own right for Reward, which was released in May. While so many musicians are on an irreversible downward trajectory by album number five, Le Bon’s is a career high. She traded the folky musings of her earliest work, and the spiky electric guitar of her last album, Crab Day, for beautiful keyboard lines and a surprising amount of saxophone. Meanwhile, her composed singing voice, often reminiscent of Nico’s deadpan delivery for The Velvet Underground, has never sounded lovelier.
When I catch up with her, she’s under no illusions about her chances against the bookies’ favourites, rappers Slowthai and Dave, and the punk band Idles — never mind the better-known Foals and The 1975. She’s a dark horse at 16/1, and finds it strange to imagine that someone at William Hill might have been thinking hard about the potential of her sonic quirks and esoteric lyrics. “It’s weird to quantify it numerically, because anyone could win,” she says in a slow, thoughtful tone. “But I guess, in a way, the nomination is enough. I kind of forget there’s a winner at the end of it all. It seems irrelevant”.
It is a hot field this one and people will be predicting right down to the wire. I think it will be between IDLES and Anna Calvi myself but many are tipping Dave and slowthai. The latter has been discussing the nomination and chatting about his masterful debut album:
“Congratulations on being nominated for the Mercury Prize. How does it feel?
Ecstatic. It means the world to me. I'm not good at articulating how things like that make me feel - but it makes me feel like I've got daisies in my stomach. I'm nervous and shy.
For people who haven't heard Nothing Great About Britain, what's it about?
It's about community. It's about remembering the people around you, and remembering that's what makes this place great.
Things like gentrification, they're trying to push all the communities away and we're losing that sense of togetherness - which is the thing that actually makes Britain great. Or any place in the world great. We all have to work in unison to make things better.
How far into the future have you planned?
I've got my next two projects, definitely. I've got the concepts and I've got the ideas and I've got the titles. I've even got names of songs and the messages. It's all there - I just have to go in and do the work.
Everyone's telling me I should bask in the moment and absorb it - but I want to push forward”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Dublin’s Fontaines D.C. impressed with their debut album, Dogrel, earlier this year/PHOTO CREDIT: Molly Keane
Great debuts from Dave, slowthai and Fontaines D.C. are standing alongside huge artists like IDLES and Anna Calvi. Since its inception in 1992, the Mercury Prize has highlighted the best of British and Irish music but, as always, there is a debate as to whether the award is rewarding those who deserve it most. Are big artists worthy of the prize money and will it benefit them as much as it does the rising acts who could use it for their next album? I think the prize comes with a cheque for twenty-five grand, and that will make a big difference to a new artist. Wolf Alice won last year for Visions of a Life and one can imagine it has allowed them to add new layers and elements into a future album. Regardless of whether the Mercurys is about the best album or should be aimed to elevate independent artists, this year must stand out as one of the strongest. Back in 1992 – when it started -, U2 and Primal Scream were in the shortlist (the latter won for Screamadelica). 1994 was pretty strong, as you’d imagine, and Blur and The Prodigy were among the favourites; but, in a shock, M People won for Elegant Slumming. Every year of the 1990s has seen at least a few less-worthy acts shortlisted. 1995 is, to me, the strongest year of the decade whereas 1997 is the most diverse – the Spice Girls, The Prodigy AND Radiohead on the shortlist is pretty nuts!
This century has seen some marvellous albums nominated but, as mentioned, no year is immune from more than a couple of weak bets. 2004 had the great Amy Winehouse and The Streets nominated, but there was also flimsy fare from Joss Stone and Jamila – the overrated Franz Ferdinand won that year with their eponymous album. 2008 was a pretty solid year but, as decades go, I think this one has been stronger than the last. There have been some blips through the decade – 2010 had Mumford & Sons on the list; 2017 had Ed Sheeran! – but the biggest challengers to this year was 2016. Jamie Woon, Radiohead and David Bowie (posthumously nominated) sitting with Bat for Lashes, ANOHNI and Skepta (the winner with Konnichiwa)…that was quite a year! Even then, I do not think there was the same magic and potency that we have in 2019. Maybe it is the climate we are living in and how artists have responded, but I do reckon 2019 is one of the strongest years ever – maybe in the top-three, but one has to marvel at the selection! This year’s favourite, slowthai, named his debut album, Nothing Great About Britain, and he is referring to politicians and the fact that this island of ours has little to shout about right now. That might be true in terms of politics and our place on the world stage, but our artists are doing us proud. No matter who wins tomorrow, cliché as this sound, everyone is a winner and should be very proud. Every year has a weak album or two, but this year is without much fault. It might be hard to top this year’s best but maybe 2020 will be even more impressive and solid! That would be something special but it is clear, unlike some years, the Mercury Prize is backing the best of British and Irish and has got things right. Such is the strength of competition this year, I do not feel we can rely on bookies and assume we know who will win. The dozen nominated acts cannot rule themselves out or think they have it in the bag because this will go…
RIGHT to the death.