The nominations are announced for the most prestigious award in British music, the Mercury Prize. This year rapper Plan B leads the pack – music blogger Olly Jones takes a look at his rivals.
Simon Frith, chair of the Barclaycard Mercury Prize judges, has called the shortlist, “a wonderful variety of musical voices, emotions and ambitions.” New, male acts predominate, with eight debut albums represented and just two female artists.
Hotly tipped to win this year’s gong are alternative four-piece Alt-J with their “folk-step” album An Awesome Wave. Having met at Leeds University, in the space of a year their darkly atmospheric mix of brooding bass, electronic beats and melodic vocals have made them the new darlings of the indie scene, with shows in early 2013 already sold out.
Another indie quartet among the favourites are Scottish psychedelic pop-rockers, Django Django, whose self-titled debut was released in early 2012. Front-man David MacLean is related to a member of the now defunct indie cult favourites The Beta Band, and the soft, harmonising vocals are certainly reminiscent. They have, however, a toe-tapping, quirky brand of pop which is uniquely their own.
In terms of political statements, there is nothing on the shortlist starker than Plan B‘s Ill Manors. The rapper’s third album is the soundtrack to his film of the same name. A far cry from the warm glow that infused the nation throughout the 2012 Olympics, Ill Manors is the story of deprived Londoners living alongside the multi-million pound Olympic village.
In terms of political statements, there is nothing on the shortlist starker than Plan B’s Ill Manors.
Less challenging, Jessie Ware‘s Devotion is a slice of sweet pop-soul, which, despite its easy pace and smooth exterior, has hints of a darker edge that set her apart from everyday R&B acts. Equally soulful, Lianne La Havas has earned a nomination for her debut, Is Your Love Big Enough? Sparer in terms of instrumentation, the songs are similarly easy on the ear, with a mix of piano and acoustic guitar accompanying the soaring vocals.
Richard Hawley, one of the few established artists on the list, is represented this year with his sixth album Standing at the Sky’s Edge. Missing out on the prize in 2006 to fellow Sheffield musicians Arctic Monkeys, his current album marks a slight departure from his usual heart-felt crooning, with an altogether rockier flavour and driving rhythms.
Next on the shortlist are indie rockers The Maccabees with Given to the Wild. The slick production and dreamy vocals make for palatable, inoffensive rock that would be deemed a safe option if chosen for the prize.
Above: Plan B speaks to Channel 4 News in May
Another guitar band with experience, but more experimentally inclined, are Sunderland’s Field Music, whose fourth album Plumb has made it onto the shortlist. Although just over 35 minutes long, Plumb’s 15 songs still manage to pack in more ideas than most bands manage over a career, with traditional song structures often eschewed in favour of tempo and time signature shifts, but with enough melodic hooks to keep it from pretension.
Ben Howard has achieved chart success with his debut album Every Kingdom, which the 25-year-old singer-songwriter from west London will hope to build on with his 2012 Mercury nomination. The folk-acoustic rock of Every Kingdom is like a younger, slightly more subdued brother to the 2010 nominated Mumford and Sons’ album Sigh No More, at times sharing that band’s penchant for rousing, stomp-along choruses.
Also loosely in the folk bracket is Sam Lee, who, on his nominated debut album Ground of its Own, has taken traditional traveller songs and tales and re-arranged them with a variety of instrumental backing, including fiddles, harps, clarinets and trumpets. Possibly his most affecting instrument, however, is his voice, which has a tremulous, haunting quality.
Each year the Barclaycard Mercury Prize likes to showcase a jazz album, and 2012 is no different with Roller Trio‘s self-titled debut making the shortlist. At the forefront of the Leeds three-piece’s ensemble is James Mainwaring’s mellifluous saxophone playing, although the drums and electric guitar accompaniment suggest more of genre-crossover with more traditional rock.
Completing the nominations is Michael Kiwanuko‘s Home Again. The 24-year-old singer has a mature resonance to his voice that belies his years, and his assured debut mixes fully orchestrated soul with more mournful, folk-tinged pop.
A series of exclusive one-off gigs will be held by each of the nominated acts prior to the announcement of the winner on Thursday 1 November 2012.
You can read more by Olly Jones on his blog Smugglers Songs.