Where Part 1 of our Mercury Prize exploration saw us cover the biggest names on this year’s shortlist, we now journey to the other end of the spectrum. BBC Radio 6 is well-known (amongst those like me who pretend to know anything about music) for highlighting the newest talent across all genres. As a result, you get some proper weird stuff; tune in to Lauren Laverne’s or Cerys Matthews’s weekend slots for more. You do, however, also get some real quality. The following albums, or two of them at least, fall into that category. From spoken word indie to Cornish folk, here’s what I made of the wacky world of the lesser-known musician.
Gwenno – Tresor
Gwenno is the only artist on the shortlist to not sing in English, with her USP being a commitment to the Celts so intense that she sings only in Cornish or Welsh. She’s therefore gained a lot of respect amongst those who wear turtlenecks and think that they really “get” music because they once bought a Radiohead album that wasn’t The Bends or OK Computer.
In case you can’t tell already, I do not like this album. Never has the term ‘sat through’ been quite so applicable, except maybe when you get stuck
talking to that one family friend with overly intense opinions on cancel culture. I don’t think it helps that I have no idea what any of the songs are about, my Cornish and Welsh are regrettably a bit rusty. Although, even if the songs were in English, I’m not sure it would redeem them. Musically, it’s fine. I mean, it’s ok. The best song on the album was, for me, the instrumental ‘Men an Toll’, a song which had an almost ethereal atmosphere and is clearly inspired by the rural landscapes of her native Wales. Unfortunately, it’s followed by ‘Ardamm’, which got skipped 2 minutes into the 6-minute dirge. The album is certainly unique, both in her celebration of Celtic culture and subject matter, with the track ‘Kan Me’ being an inexplicable celebration of the May hawthorn (a small tree native to the Deep South). Uniqueness has been prioritised over all else, however, and so it becomes a challenge rather than a joy to listen to.
I’ll do anything for you, dear reader, but I will not listen to this album a second time.
For fans of: Kate Bush, Cate Le Bon, Melody’s Echo Chamber
Must-hear tracks: Men an Toll, Keltek
Kojey Radical – Reason to Smile
Reason to Smile is a love letter to Kwadwo Amponsah’s (aka Kojey Radical) Ghanaian heritage, melding the urban sounds of his East London upbringing with the pride in the familial sacrifice that saw his parents travel over to the UK in a cold December. Starting out as a spoken word poet, with a detour into the world of Fashion Illustration at London College of Illustration, Radical combines his knowledge of poetry and wordsmithery with beats and hooks reminiscent of some of Britain’s best hip-hop and rap artists. Think Little Simz, but male, and with more collaborations. Artists such as Wretch 32 and Kelis lend their experience to Reason to Smile, with lesser-known artists such as Ego Ella May and Tiana Major9 providing a softer shade to some of the more laid-back moments on this record.
Sentimentally, this album is pretty flawless. It portrays genuine love and pride in his past and it is super transparent that he loves his mum – her cameos at the end of some songs provide a human aspect that is so often missing from the angrier and showier American rap scene. Unfortunately, though, I did get a bit bored about halfway through. ‘Talkin’ is very well placed, slapping you round the face just when you think you’ve figured out what Kojey is all about, but quickly we return to route one: chilled vibes and introspective lyrics. If you like that kind of thing, you’ll love this, but it does feel a bit samey by the end.
For fans of: Little Simz, Maverick Sabre, J Hus
Must-hear tracks: Talkin, Payback
Wet Leg – Wet Leg
I first heard Wet Leg on BBC Radio 6 Music when their first single ‘Chaise Longue’ came out, and I am as confused about them now as I was then. Stemming from the Isle of Wight, the female indie-pop duo are certainly different and are super refreshing. They’ve garnered themselves a stack of high-profile fans, from Hayley Williams of Paramore right through to Harry Styles and rock-god Dave Grohl. You’d think, then, that this album is next level.
One thing you can say for certain is that it’s different. Light-hearted and borne out of a desire to just have fun, it’s an album that is perfect to have on in the background while your mind is somewhere else. But I just don’t get the hype. The album improves as it goes on, with the band front-loading their singles and biggest hitters (‘Chaise Longue’, ‘Angelica’) before hitting a different and slightly more serious tone by the end of the record (‘Too Late Now’). One cannot doubt the obvious song writing talent that Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers have, combining amusing and relatable lyrics about growing up and falling out of love with all the stuff that you used to do for fun.
But so what? They’re ok, but they’re hardly Pink Floyd. Much of the album blends into one, and as such I found it difficult to necessarily know where one song ended and another began, but I suppose in a sense that doesn’t matter. They’ve clearly found a sound that people enjoy, meaning their fans will keep going back for more just because it’s Wet Leg.
My money would probably be on this band to win on October 18th, because who (apart from me, apparently) wants to disagree with Hayley Williams?
For fans of: The Big Moon, Lauran Hibberd, Goat Girl
Must-hear tracks: Supermarket, Too Late Now
Yard Act - The Overload
I judged this album before I listened to it properly, basing my opinion on hearing a couple of tracks in my dad’s car once. Ironically, it’s exactly that which Yorkshire’s own Yard Act pokes fun at throughout their debut release, writing overtly political lyrics that poke holes in what it is to be British in the 21st Century.
Title-track and opener ‘The Overload’ doesn’t mess about, making it clear where this album is going from minute one, with vocalist James Smith’s spoken word style fizzing with sarcasm and social commentary. Yard Act have very much caught the zeitgeist; this album could lyrically act like a soundtrack for the current movement against the Tories and trickle-down economics – I like to think RMT leader Mick Lynch has ‘Dead Horse’ running through his head when he makes fools of politicians and newsreaders alike.
The focus is clearly on the lyrics, with the boys first and foremost making a political point and merely using music as the vessel to do so. When your lyrics are so strong, though, that’s totally understandable. ‘Tall Poppies’, the pick of the bunch for me (no pun intended), provides a bleak yet incredibly accurate tale of life in a village in middle-England. The focus on wit and message results in music that is pretty facile; tracks such as ‘Witness (Can I Get A?)' were clearly inspired by bands such as The Clash and The Ruts but without the fury and angst that lit up the punk scene in the 1970s.
It’s a better album than I thought it was going to be, and I adore that political music is making a comeback, but I wouldn’t say it’ll inspire a revolution.
For fans of: Pulp, The Wombats, The Clash
Must-hear tracks: Dead Horse, Tall Poppies
The Mercury Prize 2022 will be awarded on Tuesday 18th October and broadcast on BBC 4 at 9pm.