One of the most listenable artists to come out of the UK music scene, he's almost impossible to hate. In at number 9 with his latest release Geography is British beatmaker Tom Misch.

Tom Misch has soundtracked several moments in my life and so when he released this album in April to say that it took over the entire next few months would be an understatement. I listened to that album almost every single day for two months. Generally speaking, the Tom Misch album treatment seems fairly simple, and nothing about his beats is really that technically intricate. However, what he does do well is strike a chord with the listener that lifts your spirit in every single song.

The songs that shine most for me at the moment are "Lost in Paris (feat. Goldlink)", "South Of The River",  "Tick Tock", "Disco Yes (feat. Poppy Ajudha)" and "Water Baby (feat. Loyle Carner)". What's interesting about Tom's sound, and which rings true even for the songs listed above, is it's welcome underneath any coffee-house or hotel foyer din but also raises the eyebrows and gets the feet tapping of anybody listening. Tom's take on lo-fi jazzy beats is modest but memorable and it's his understated confidence that wins him fans across the board. After catching him live at Primavera Sound Festival this year it only cemented my love for his summery sound and added a whole host of new memories soundtracked by Tom Misch.

As a debut full album release Geography is a safe but satisfying body of work. I'd definitely like to see Tom explore more with the next release and tap into more adventurous features and instrumentals but for now this album has done more than enough.

Have a look at last year's number nine album here.

So many of the best albums of 2017 have come from British artists and almost just as many have been debut albums. In at number 21 just on the cusp of the top twenty is debut solo album from British artist, Loyle Carner with Yesterday's Gone.

When Loyle started coming up a couple of years ago he was everywhere - every festival line up, every typical venue for up and comers, every magazine - his promo was insane. Rightly so, his voice is so distinct, and it's the kind of typical London voice I wouldn't expect to say that about, but it's a voice that you could pick out of a crowd nonetheless. In those first few months where Loyle was everywhere I went along with the hype and really overdid it a little bit and so when the time came for him to release this debut, I thought that I was over it. The excitement had worn off and I was a little bit bored. But when I actually got round to listening to the record, it still surprised me. Even the singles that I'd already known and loved sounded refreshed in the context of the record.

Standout new tracks on this one for me are "No Worries" and "Mrs C". Old favourites of mine however have to be "Isle of Arran", "Damselfly" and "Florence". I overplayed "Florence" so so much when I first heard it and thought that when I got to the record I'd be bored of it but no, it's still an amazing track. One thing that always shines through in Loyle's music is his love for his family. He's definitely not the first rapper to rap about family but it's a clear theme in his music and his live shows and the way that he keeps it down to earth and authentic has set him miles apart from a lot of the "popular rap" buzzing around at the minute.

Being nominated for a Mercury on your debut album is no small achievement - however a lot of the artists to have that happen in the past (e.g The xx, Ghostpoet, Alt-J, etc) have gone on to huge things and still continue to put out quality work. I'd expect nothing less from Loyle Carner after this one.

We've reached that time of the year! Alongside the "BBC Sound Of" shortlist, the Mercury Prize shortlist is just as, if not more indicative of how UK music is going currently and what music is set to look like in the near future. After brushing up on the nominees' albums these past few days, I have some thoughts on the 2017 shortlist...

ALT-J - Relaxer
I've got to be honest - I didn't even realise that this was a full length album until this shortlist was released. I thought it was intended to be an EP. Regardless, at first I didn't know if this should've made the list. It's definitely a very solid album but nothing about it really jumped out at me as overly innovative or different, and no song in particular stuck mind like other albums this year have. Although after listening back over these past couple of days, songs like "In Cold Blood", "Hit Me Like That Snare" and "Adeline" make me want to change my mind. Strong entry from alt-J here.  

THE BIG MOON - Love In The 4th Dimension 
I actually recently shazam'd their song "Cupid" after it caught my attention on a drive, and now that I've listened to the entire album it only cements their place on the list. Even minutes into the album on the opener "Sucker" I was already kicking myself for not having listened sooner. I can already see The Big Moon quickly rising up the festival rosters after this strong debut and although they may not win the Mercury, I'm sure that if they keep putting out awesome material like this, they'll soon have a few awards in tow.

BLOSSOMS - Blossoms
Another band that I can see being a big hit at festivals in the near future. Although a little more retro in their sound, their music has the same punch. The only thing that I found myself wishing for after listening to the record, was for them to have a bit more of a striking sound. If I'd have heard their music come on in a shop for example, there's not much that I could draw on to come to the conclusion that it was Blossoms. They sound very good just not very different. Overall, I'm not mad about this nomination though.

LOYLE CARNER - Yesterday's Gone
I was really excited to see Loyle up for a nomination. I hadn't expected it but I completely understood it. After hearing his first singles and seeing him live a couple of time I was convinced that I'd heard just about everything of concern from Loyle. Boy was I wrong. This debut very pleasantly surprised me and as well as staying true himself and producing content that showcases his life, personality and surroundings perfectly; he's given the public something accessible and enjoyable. Very worthy of the nomination.

DINOSAUR - Together, As One
Loving this new discovery. It's not too often that I listen to full instrumental albums but I've been thinking about it a lot more recently after making my way through some of Lettuce's catalogue. Dinosaur might just be a new favourite. They don't have as much exposure as most of the other atists on the list but music is music and this is good quality. Even if they don't win, it'll be great to see them garner some more new fans from this nomination.

GLASS ANIMALS - How To Be A Human Being
So, so happy that this made the list this year. Ever since their debut I've been smitten with their work, at first even thinking that Glass Animals were my "replacement" for alt-J after being underwhelmed by their second album. So the fact that this sophomore even managed to top the last record only cemented my feelings for their work as a band. This latest album is interesting, diverse and overall fun. I hope to hear more from them over the years but despite how much I enjoy their music, I'm not sure if this will take the prize this year.

ED SHEERAN - Divide
I definitely wasn't surprised to see this one here given all of the records it broke and all of the money it made, but seeing as Mercury prides itself on choosing albums entirerly based on quality I didn't think that Divide was quite good enough to fit the bill. Sure the songs were cool and catchy but something about it was a bit too simple for me and I still don't think it lived up to the hype surrounding it. Again, I wouldn't be surprised if this won the award given its' current success, but I think I'd be disappointed.

SAMPHA - Process
I've already spoken about how much I enjoyed this album in my review here and so of course I was not at all surprised to see Sampha's name on this year's shortlist. Given the work he's put out prior to this and also surrounding this I'd say he's a strong contender for the winning spot this year. Process provided a couple of my favourite songs this year so far and Sampha even featured on a track from my favourite album of last year. If I were a betting person, I'd take this one into serious consideration.

J HUS - Common Sense
YES! I'm buzzing that this made the list as I'd expected Stormzy to be on there and just figured that he'd be flying the flag for Grime this year, but very happy to have J Hus alongside him, on the back of a very solid album. J Hus really put out an album for the people with this new one and as well as giving us witty bars and radio bangers we also have a strong message and an album that I suspect people will be spinning for a long while.

KATE TEMPEST - Let Them Eat Chaos
I'm shocked at just how many times I've heard this name mentioned and just how many chances I've had to see her live and yet, until yesterday, I'd not heard one song from her. Yep, I missed the boat on this one but now that I've jumped on the bandwagon, I think it's an acquired taste but it's so unique right now. It's strength definitely relies on Kate's incredible lyricism but the instrumentals are a little bit take it or leave it for me at the moment. I'm definitely glad that I've finally had a listen and started to form an opinion. Also probably my favourite album title of the bunch.

STORMZY - Gang Signs And Prayer
Another album that I'd have near the top of my list to make bets on would be this debut masterpiece from Stormzy. This record took the world by storm (pun intended) and hasn't let off the gas since. Currently touring in Australia, everywhere he goes Stormzy is drawing in bucket loads of fans and making more along the way. This album coupled with his lovable character helped to make this one of the most exciting records to come out this year and it being his debut only makes it that much more impressive.

THE XX - I See You 
Similarly to alt-J, I was disappointed The xx's second album after such a stellar (Mercury Prize winning) debut album. Now they're back on the list with this collection of absolute bangers, and after seeing them live at Primavera Sound Festival this year, it's only heightened my appreciation for the album. "Dangerous" is still one of the only album openers this year to make me press repeat straight after first listen. As well as keeping their signature sound, The xx have pointed themselves in a new direction and an outstanding one at that. Could this be a second Mercury win for them?