Set to be announced on September 20th, we've made our prediction on this year's Mercury Prize. A shortlist dominated by big names rather than new up-and-comers, it's hard to agree with all of the 12 nominees however, there's no doubt several of the shortlisted artists fully deserve the recognition.
Jorja Smith's encapsulating debut is deserving of its nomination but the lack of varying tempo and occasionally disappointing lyrics leaves it lagging behind our front runners. However, we are in no doubt Smith has the potential to be victorious in the future. Her voice is simply stunning, lyrically she clearly has potential and the genre-ranging, intertwined influences that crop up throughout the record is sure to spur her on to glory in the future. Meanwhile Noel Gallagher's Who Built The Moon? is a high standard LP that shut the parka monkeys up well and truly, yet it lacks the diversity and freshness of a handful of the other nominees.
Elsewhere, Florence & The Machine, Lily Allen and Everything Everything's nominations were surprising considering the other options available, and therefore a victory for any would be seen as an upset.
For us at The Rodeo, this is a two-horse race. This is Arctic Monkeys fourth nomination as they attempt to pick up the gong for a second time. Their zero-gravity moon rock shocked the world but for us, there's no denying the daring nature of the record has paid of. As far as lyrical craftsmanship go, there's a case for it being Turner's best writing yet, whilst sonically it is simply a stunning collection of work. Playful chirpy sounds turn to dark intensity in an instance, the album flowing smother than Turner's locks once did (before he shaved it all off of course). However, whilst this is undoubtedly one of the clear favourites, we're placing our bets elsewhere.
Wolf Alice's sophomore record, Visions Of A Life, their second nomination leaving them with a 100% record so far, is a surprising dark horse. It's a dark horse in the sense that, although we all expected it to get nominated, few expect the quartet to take the top prize despite it's sheer brilliance. Ellie Rowsell is more confident than ever, screaming, shouting, whispering lyrics, using her imperfections to find self-acceptance. The diversity across the record is superb as you're taken on a trip from east to west with various sounds creating vivid imagery that matches Rowsell's powerful storytelling. From romantic narration in 'Don't Delete The Kisses' to punky grunge in 'Yuk Foo', from the Americana western twang of 'Formidable Cool' to rock'n'roll pop thriller sounds of 'Space & Time', there's something for everyone. Like a pick'n'mix of guitar music's various genres, Wolf Alice can do it all. And it's for this reason that we hope they pip the Monkeys and everyone else to what is one of music's most coveted prize.
Who's your favourite? Leave a comment below!
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