Here Are The 2021 Mercury Prize Noms

Is there a clear favorite in a lineup of great albums?

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For over twenty years now, the announcement of the nominees for the Mercury Prize has been one of my favorite annual traditions.

For my stateside readers unfamiliar with the award, the Mercury Prize has been around since 1992. A panel selects the best album recorded by an artist or band in which the members are at least fifty percent from Britain or Ireland. Going back to its roots, the Mercury Prize was more rock-oriented but is open to all genres and has explored a more diverse pallet, especially in the last few years.

As much music as I listen to, there are always a few nominees I am unfamiliar with, as the Mercury Prize is a much bigger champion of leftfield and independent artists than, say, the Grammys or most awards here. It’s introduced me to some of my all-time favorite albums, from Badly Drawn Boy’s The Hour of Bewilderbeast and Elbow’s Asleep in the Back in the early aughts to newer favorites like Sons of Kemet and Fontaines D.C.

This year is inspiring as ten of the twelve nominees are first-timers.

Over the last six months, I’ve partnered with a few excellent writers, Andrew Lambert of Either/Or Reviews in Dublin (the Elliott Smith reference sold me immediately) and Matthew McLister of Blinded By the Floodlights in Glasgow. To give some insight from the other side of the pond, I’ve included their reviews for a few of these nominations. Please support them!

Let’s take a look at this year’s nominees:

Arlo Parks - Collapsed in Sunbeams

This record has been the definition of a grower for me. Released in January, Collapsed in Sunbeams had the roots of interest with Parks’ luscious bedroom pop. After coming back to it a few months later, I’ve had this in heavy rotation.

Covering many complex subjects like depression, Arlo Parks has a gift for turning them into uplifting, funky, and soulful songs. In a time of increased isolation, Parks is here to talk everyone through it.

A few months ago, Parks won for Breakthrough Artist at the Brit Awards, making her a favorite to take the Mercury Prize.

Collapsed in Sunbeams is available now on Transgressive Records.

BERWYN - DEMOTAPE/VEGA

Recorded in 2017 on an old laptop and broken headphones, and released last year, BERWYN’s DEMOTAPE/VEGA is a fresh voice in British hip-hop. The lofi vulnerability of the record works perfectly as BERWYN reflects on his time growing up in East London.

BERWYN has been high on the hip-hop radar and already has had a Drake feature. As I’m not one to keep up on Drizzy’s material, BERWYN is new to me, but I’m happy to have heard this record and will be following his rise.

BERWYN released his follow-up TAPE 2/FOMALHAUT in June.

DEMOTAPE/VEGA is available now on Heritage/Columbia Records.

Black Country, New Road - For the First Time

For the First Time, the debut by London’s Black Country, New Road, has never clicked for me, as many listens as I have given it. It’s not the band’s fault either - they were so hyped by the press that I’m still wondering what the big deal is. Maybe British Connor Oberst vocals aren’t my thing.

On the contrary, Andrew Lambert at Either/Or Reviews gave it a glowing review calling it “a relentlessly creative debut that meets its lofty expectations and then some, delivering an explosion of freewheeling psychedelic jazz come feverish post-punk that is executed with total abandon and furious passion.” Read his review here.

For the First Time is available now on Ninja Tune.

Celeste - Not Your Muse

A first-generation American born in Culver City, Celeste grew up in Brighton after moving to the UK with her English mother.

Writing songs from a young age, Celeste won last year’s Breakthrough Artist for the Brit Awards, and Not Your Muse is her debut studio album. The record debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, and she’s had a hugely successful few years, including an Academy Award nomination for her song, “Hear My Voice.”

Not Your Muse is available now on Both Sides and Polydor Records.

Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra - Promises

Promises is one of my favorite records of the year, and I’ve written about it a few times. Here’s what I had to say upon its release:

“It took a few restarts to give Promises, the new album from Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders the attention it deserves. Once you set everything aside for this meditative piece, you'll be floating away to another planet where silence and the notes in between rule supreme.

At first glance, having an octogenarian jazz legend team up an artist at the forefront of the electronic scene may seem like an odd couple, but it's a match made in heaven.
After hearing Elaenia, the 2015 debut album by Floating Points, Sanders, the tenor saxophonist known for his powerful overblowing technique, wanted to collaborate with Sam Shepard, aka Floating Points.

What we get in this unique collaboration is a gorgeous collection of nine movements, all set around the repetition of a sparse melody mainly played on a harpsichord, piano, and synth. With this base established by Shepard, Pharoah Sanders is allowed to sprinkle in his tenor. At the same time, the London Symphony Orchestra fills in the rest.

Patient in its build-up, Promises comes to an emotional crescendo in "Movement 6" and doesn't let up for the remainder of the record.

Five years in the making, Promises is a work that feels so out of place in the age of screen distractions and so timely in our quest to return to organic beauty. This isn't made to play out of your computer or phone's speakers. Some good headphones are necessary to truly appreciate every contribution and all of the layers in the quiet. 

Refusing to be jazz, electronic, classical, or ambient, Promises is one of the most important listens of the year. Take some time out of your day or spend your night stargazing while Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders take you to a place of tranquility.”

I think it’s safe to say this is my pick for this year’s Mercury Prize.

Promises is available now on Luaka Bop.

Ghetts - Conflict of Interest

This London-based MC has been releasing mixtapes since 2005 after starting in the grime collective called NASTY Crew, but Conflict of Interest is his major-label debut.

After releasing five singles in the buildup to the album’s release, Ghetts has achieved both critical and commercial acclaim, debuting at number one on the UK R&B Albums chart. I’ll be honest, I gave Conflict of Interest a spin when it was released in late January but haven’t gone back to it… add that to the weekend list.

Conflict of Interest is available now on Warner Records (who need to press this on vinyl already. Stupid major label moves).

Hannah Peel - Fir Wave

Hannah Peel is a composer and producer from Northern Ireland who has amassed quite the discography, whether working with the legendary Paul Weller or as a member of The Magnetic North (which also features The Verve’s Simon Tong) and John Foxx and the Maths. Her work for a Game of Thrones documentary also earned her an Emmy nomination in 2019.

In a year of stacked electronic releases, Fir Wave has been a highlight for me. Its exploration of patterns and cycles is gorgeous and will challenge your idea of electronic music with its organic sound.

Fir Wave is available now on My Own Pleasure.

Laura Mvula - Pink Noise

Laura Mvula is a Mercury Prize veteran with her previous two albums also receiving a nomination.

Pink Noise finds the Birmingham songwriter reinventing herself, putting aside her serious work, and instead looks back to the 80s and her childhood while writing one of the catchiest pop records of the year. Citing the Jacksons, James Brown, Sting, Peter Gabriel, and Earth Wind & Fire as inspirations, Mvula has created an album that is pure fun and impossible to not move to.

Pink Noise is available now on Atlantic Records.

Mogwai - As The Love Continues

As The Love Continues, Mogwai’s tenth album has been an enormous success for the Glaswegian post-rock vets. Not only is this is their first Mercury Prize nomination, but they also reached number one on the UK Albums Chart for the first time.

Mogwai has been a long-time favorite of mine, and I love this album. Revisit my review here.

As The Love Continues is available now on Rock Action Records.

Nubya Garcia - Source

Nubya Garcia is a jazz tenor saxophonist whose full-length debut Source is bending every rule and idea of what modern jazz can be. After releasing a few EPs, her star status rose, working with the hottest names in the UK scene.

Co-produced by Kwes (Hudson Mohawke, Solange, and Loyle Carner are some of the artists he has produced), Source runs somewhere between calypso, dub, soul, and everywhere in between. It’s a helluva debut, and I’m excited to see where Garcia goes from here.

Source is available now on Concord Jazz.

Sault - Untitled (Rise)

Sault is a neo-soul collective who notoriously has not revealed any group members and doesn’t participate in publicity and press. The only known member is producer Inflo, and they’ve worked with Little Simz and Michael Kiwanuka (who won last year’s prize and is a judge on this year’s panel). Their fourth album Untitled (Rise), was named by The Guardian as the best record of 2020.

Their latest Nine was released earlier this month.

Untitled (Rise) is available now on Forever Living Originals.

Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend

Wolf Alice are familiar with the Mercury Prize, having won it in 2018 for their album Visions of a Life. Their latest Blue Weekend has won critical success again and many are calling it their best yet.

Unfortunately, Blue Weekend hasn’t been a favorite of mine, except for the single “Smile.”

While the album isn’t for me, self-described mega fan Matthew McLister of Blinded By the Floodlights loves this record, calling it a “modern-day indie masterpiece.” It’s one of my favorite reviews of the year for a record I disagree with. Give it a read here.

Blue Weekend is available now on Dirty Hit.

Are there any artists that you think were left out? Let me know in the comments!