Rock is out, dubstep is in, there are no Irish nominees and it’s already being pitched as a two-horse race. The Mercury Music Prize shortlist was announced yesterday, to the usual surprise and commotion
FEMALE ACTS are still in the ascendant, rock music is dead and dubstep is the only sound in town – these are the messages being sent out by the shortlist for this year’s Mercury Music Prize for the Best British or Irish album of the year.
The bookmakers already have this year’s Mercury race as the tightest ever, with Adele and PJ Harvey being joint favourites for the overall prize which will be announced on September 6th. No Irish album made this year’s shortlist.
There was, as always, a lot of surprised and outraged comment when the 12-strong list was announced yesterday in London.
This is the first time in the Mercury’s 20-year history that no out-and-out guitar rock album has made the shortlist for a prize that prides itself on being a snapshot of the current musical climate. There are, however, four dubstep-influenced albums on the list, which has a very strong urban/electro feel to it.
The big losers this year are Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, The Horrors, The Vaccines and Wild Beasts – all of whom were confidently predicted to make the cut but lost out to younger pretenders. In their place are urban acts such as the Tinie Tempah, Ghostpoet and Katy B.
The bookies already have the prize as being a very close fight between Adele and PJ Harvey with another female performer, Anna Calvi, pushing them both all the way. It has very much been Adele’s year so far – the young Londoner broke sales records that have stood since the heyday of the Beatles, but her crossover success may have made her too ubiquitous for the Mercury judging panel (which is made up of music industry professionals from across the spectrum).
PJ Harvey would look a sure bet if not for the fact that she has already won the award – for her Stories From The City, Stories For The Seaalbum back in 2001. A good compromise winner would be Anna Calvi – a young Anglo-Italian – who, ironically, has already been labelled "the new PJ Harvey".
Rupert Adams of William Hill says of the shortlist: “This has been a year of musical excellence with these albums representing an eclectic range of styles. This quality is reflected in the closeness of the odds we’ve given – every album here could be a winner.”
And the nominees are . . . the Mercury shortlist
Adele: 21
A huge global hit on its release in January, Adele’s second album threw her to the top of the singer-songwriter heap thanks to some quality material and stunning vocal performances.
The Ticketsaid: 21was "majestic . . . brilliant . . . exquisitely delivered. A real sense of musical growth."
The bookies say: 4/1.
PJ Harvey: Let England Shake With songs about the first World War, Iraq and the state of England today, this was seen as Harvey's most contemporary and mature work to date and picked up superlative reviews.
The Ticketsaid: "A record of often profound beauty that typically doesn't always take the easy route . . . insightful."
The bookies say: 4/1.
Elbow: Build A Rocket Boys!Not as immediate as their breakthrough, The Seldom Seen Kid, this grown-up rock album threw up moments of sparse, dizzying wonder. Already a firm fan's favourite.
The Ticketsaid:"Rarely does popular music scale such heights . . . beautifully beguiling . . . a masterpiece."
The bookies say: 5/1.
Tinie Tempah: Disc-Overy
Already a double-platinum seller with the huge hit singles Pass Outand Friskybecoming short-order radio anthems, the rapper displayed the new face of UK hip-hop/grime to great effect on this intoxicating collection.
The Ticketsaid: "His main strength is that super-fast, on-point flow and cocky, audacious confidence – both perfectly in tune with the infectious, pop-crossover shape of certain tracks."
The bookies say: 5/1.
Anna Calvi: Anna CalviIntense, dramatic and ear-shatteringly good at times, Calvi is like a Victorian novelist let loose in a guitar shop. There's glamour and glitz here also. An outstanding new talent.
The Ticketsaid:"Exquisite poise and pitch, her sense of theatrics gives the songs an enhanced narrative. Passionate fever."
The bookies say: 6/1.
Katy B: On A Mission
A graduate of the same Brit School as Adele, Katy B specialises in chart-friendly dance music with a hint of dubstep. She chronicles her young female girl-about-town times very well but is far from the finished article.
The Ticketsaid: "A talented singer with a great ear for proper pop hooks."
The bookies say: 10/1
Metronomy: The English Riviera
A synth-heavy album from the electronic four-piece which has distant echoes of Steely Dan about it. A surprise choice but the album has many delights – though not of the in-yer-face variety.
The critics said: The Guardiansaid it had an "FM radio feel with a charm that permeates every last moment."
The bookies say: 8/1.
Everything Everything: Man AliveThe Manchester band throw the kitchen sink at this album which is a melange of styles and rhythms. Previously nominated for two Ivor Novello awards, they are a critics' favourite who have yet to find a commercial foothold.
The Ticketsaid: "One of the most tightly constructed debuts released this year – a beautifully paced record."
The bookies say: 8/1.
James Blake: James BlakeThe classically trained pianist turned dubstep maestro was really supposed to drag dubstep firmly into the mainstream this year but despite great reviews for this album, he has yet to crossover.
The Ticketsaid:"A study in elegant precision, all spine-tingling moods and beautiful emotions."
The bookies say: 8/1.
Gwilym Simcock: Good Days at Schloss Elmau
Viewed as the most talented jazz musician of his generation, Simcock’s album is a semi-improvised affair which was captured in one live take.
The Ticketsaid: "Simcock has so much to call on in terms of technique and the sheer extent of his harmonic resources that they can take him anywhere he wants to go . . . rhythmic exuberance."
The bookies say: 10/1
Ghostpoet: Peanut Butter Blues Melancholy JamThe British rapper Obaro Ejimiwe makes scratchy hip-hop with a dubstep undertow. Slow-paced and absorbing, he's "the new Tricky" by all accounts.
The Ticketsaid:"Tales of inner-city dread and doom over sharp, well-tuned and finely pitched murky beats."
10/1
King Creosote and Jon Hopkins: Diamond Mine
King Creosote is a Scottish alt-wizard and Jon Hopkins is Coldplay’s occasional keyboard player. Together they’ve come up with a beautifully slow-paced and ultra-quiet album that is as poignant and beautiful as they come.
The critics said: "A powerfully life-affirming song cycle," said the London Independent.
The bookies say:10/1
Odds correct at time of going to press, provided by William Hill bookmakers
The Mercury Music Prize winner will be announced on September 6th. See mercuryprize.com
