Nationwide Mercury Music Prize 2007 - Miscellaneous Performers Album Review
Album Review
Compilatiom from the Nationwide Mercury Prize nominees for 2007.Released in August, ahead of the awards, it has all the so - called cream of the crop for this year.On September 4, the winner was announced - Myths Of The Near Future by The Klaxons who also received a £20,000 cheque, presented by Jools Holland. They took the gong in the face of stiff comeptition from The Artic Monkeys, The View, and Brit winner Amy Winehouse, who's album Back To Black has been hovering in the charts for 43 weeks.
The CD consists of a track from each of the of the nominated shortlist of 12 albums.Following the remit of the awards, it's open to albums from all genres and focuses on the music on each album. Inevitably there's an excellent selection, from hook heavy anthem Golden Skans, the opening track. This is followed by Dundee's very own ( an overrated ) The View with yet another pulsating single from Hats Off To The Buskers, which went to No.1 and platinum in January. Brighton based, multi-instrumentalist 27 year old Natasha Khan aka Bat For Lashes, also a strong contender, gets the brilliant What's A Girl To Do ? included from Fur And Gold, bringing back shades of a Phil Spector 60s production.
New Irish folkie Fionn Regan has emerged as a major talent this year with debut The End Of History. His lightweight and delightful voice shimmers all over the acoustic driven Be Good Or Be Gone. Quirky The Decision by idiosyncratic The Young Knives is a fascinating inclusion for the Oxford based trio. Amy shows why she's been such a successs this year with retro-Soul Back To Black.An 80s synth-tinged The Get Go ( Fantastic Playground )is a chunky dancer from NYPC, proving they have the makings of a very good band.Dylan Mills, aka 21 year old Dizzee Rascall's Sirens ( Maths + English ) is acacophonous trash, as is Jamie T's Salvador. Back in real music land, the gorgeous Lost My Soul ( We Can Create ) by Maps is a mini-classic of hushed brilliance that turns into a stirring beauty.
