OPINION: MERCURY PRIZE 2018

The shortlist for this year's Mercury Prize will be released in a month or so, so we've picked the albums we think deserve to make the prestigious list. Album's available for entry must have been released between July 22nd 2017 and July 20th 2018. So, here's what we think should make the list.

WOLF ALICE - VISIONS OF A LIFE

Wolf Alice's sophomore record was one of the most anticipated releases of 2017, and boy did it live up to the hype. A genre spanning record that shape shifts delicately between hardcore punk and romantic spoken word, where Ellie Rowsell questions her capability of finding love, screams about sex and mumbles anxious thoughts before a plane ride. Visions Of A Life proved to be a balance of restraint and release, influenced by both western and eastern sounds, each detail thought through intrinsically to create a masterpiece. The record also captures the growth of Wolf Alice as a band, particularly Rowsell's emergence as a bruising rock star and top-drawer lyricist, shown in album highlight 'Don't Delete The Kisses'. In Visions of a Life, Wolf Alice are fearless and explore outside the boundaries as they drift from the formula used for Mercury nominated debut album, 'My Love Is Cool', to an increasingly alternative sound, most notable on the album closer, and title-track, a vibrant 8 minute journey that captures varying moods, creating a host of vivid imagery on its way. This record combines clever lyrics with advanced instrumental arrangements and for us, should not only be nominated for the Mercury Prize, but be a serious contender to win the damn thing.

GOAT GIRL (SELF-TITLED)

Goat Girl's debut album is a 40 minute foray into the wonderful and weird world of the south London quartet. 19 songs, each one as sharp as the last, this record doesn't mess around. Mixing old-school country blues with contemporary synth sounds, Goat Girl have created the perfect bridge between old and new. The occasional inclusion of a violin or harmonious backing vocals creates a haunting mood throughout, a mood that matches the record's lyrics as Goat Girl nonchalantly critique the demons within society. Take 'Creep', a personal tale of a disturbing experience involving a man on a train. Meanwhile, 'Burn The Stake' shows Goat Girl's political side, innovatively using a nursery rhyme to criticise the current government. There's also a fluidity to the record, with songs seamlessly integrating into each other and short instrumentals occasionally dropped in to signal a change in mood. The use of instrumentals provide links between songs and add to the overall sleazy feel. Yet they also help to polish the album off and prevent it from becoming just another collection of singles. Goat Girl's debut record is an extremely mature and well-rounded collection of songs and certainly deserves a place on the shortlist.

ARCTIC MONKEYS - TRANQUILITY BASE HOTEL + CASINO

Well well well. As if we haven't talked about this record enough already. Whatever your opinions of it are, this record has all the credentials required to be nominated for the Mercury Prize. Tranquility Base is set within a lunar luxury complex on the moon and whilst this place may not exist, the quality of the album has made us all want to go there. Drenched in sci-fi sounds, brimming with space lexicon, this is the most experimental Monkeys long-play yet. Lyrically, it is arguably Turner's finest collection of work too. Bordering on poetry at times, he explores a range of topics from writers block to pretentious Instagram posts. Turner cleverly reflects on the annoying aspects of society, wrapping his commentary in satire and pop-culture references, "with coloured Old Grey Whistle Test lights". There is an eclectic mix of songs on the record too, from the playful Broadway feel of 'Star Treatment' and 'One Point Perspective', to the rousing, more familiar sound of 'She Looks Like Fun', whilst album closer, 'The Ultracheese', sees Turner channel his inner Leonard Cohen. Whilst many long-time fans of Arctic Monkeys rolled their eyes at this record, we predict the panel deciding this year's Mercurcy Prize were licking their lips, as it virtually shortlists itself.