Here it is, music fans! The 2022 Mercury Prize shortlist...did your favourite make it on the list?
Wet Leg - Wet Leg
We said: "Amongst the suffocating smog of mediocre indie rock bands, Wet Leg’s fusion of a strong lyrical identity, straightforward sound, and fun-loving philosophy results in a self-titled album that’s frankly, a breath of fresh air."
Self Esteem - Prioritise Pleasure
We said: "Yes, Prioritise Pleasure may well be the album of the year. It also represents Rebecca Taylor reaching her well-deserved pinnacle, as a modern popstar with the whole package: voice, humour, choreography, honesty, looks and the uncanny ability to pen a banger. Long may she reign."
Nova Twins - Supernova
We said: "In a fairly barren landscape of heavy guitar-led groups in the mainstream, Nova Twins buck that trend and Supernova (with the tracks perhaps standing out better on their own rather than as a collection) is an excellent second step in the band’s journey which promises so much more to come."
Harry Styles - Harry's House
We said: "Despite it all, Harry Styles has delivered the soundtrack for a cinematic summer. As the final piano notes ring out from ‘Love Of My Life’, it’s like hearing the credits roll on something stuck between a romance movie and a reality show."
Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler - For All Our Days That Tear The Heart
Joy Crookes - Skin
We said: "Skin is a triumph for Joy Crookes, who pulls from a wide variety of influences and stories to bring an album that indicates a lot of potential. She's established a strong musical identity, an introspective yet witty voice, and some important messages. Although the energy isn't evenly sustained across the record, there are a lot of individual tracks that demonstrate that you should look forward to the rest of Crookes' output."
Kojey Radical - Reason To Smile
Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
We said: "Nineteen songs is a lot, and a lesser artist could crumble under the pressure and deliver something underwhelming, but here Simz is very much more killer than filler. From the cinematic single ‘I Love You I Hate You’ to the effortless cool of ‘Rollin Stone’, there’s nothing here that appears simply to make up the numbers."
Sam Fender - Seventeen Going Under
We said: "This is an album built on battle scars, giving friendship to the desperately lonely, hope to those in the darkest of places and an escape to the ones who have searched forever to find it. Seventeen Going Under is a spectacularly faultless second record that will inspire generations to come: Springsteen might be Sam’s hero but he's becoming a boss in his own right."
Yard Act - The Overload
We said: "Yard Act make their opening statement with aplomb on The Overload. An album as silly as it is eclectic, gleefully cheeky as it is fiercely intelligent. Whilst certain aspects border on repetitive tropes and sounds, the one thing you can’t call this album is forgettable. Whether they either smash to mega-stardom or simply remain the next Half Man Half Biscuit is irrelevant; this album is the greatest lexical party you will have in a long time."
Fergus McReadie - Forest Floor
Gwenno Saunders - Tresor
