Whatever your thoughts on the annual music industry love-in that is the Barclaycard Mercury Prize Album of the Year, you can’t deny it creates a bit of a talking point in the music world. The shortlist for this years Mercury Prize is announced tomorrow evening (5.30pm, 10 September), so prepare for a few weeks of relentless press about who deserves to win!
The criteria for albums to make the shortlist states that they have to have been released between 11 September 2012 and 9 September 2013 and of course be by UK artists. Last year, the summary for the shortlist stated that all the chosen albums shared ‘a common sense of adventure, pushing music in fresh and dynamic directions.’
So with that in mind, here are the 12 albums I think should be on the Mercury Prize shortlist this year (in no particular order):
Swim Deep – Where The Heaven Are We
Laura Marling – Once I Was An Eagle
Neon Neon – Praxis Makes Perfect
My shortlist is probably a bit too ‘populist’ for the Mercury Prize, and some of my picks will definitely be replaced with some more obscure albums – but I’m happy with my top 12. What do you think? Who would make your shortlist for this years prize?
