One of my favourite new discoveries this side of 2018 and lucky for me I caught Sam Rendina at a time when he's still a new discovery for most people. After listening to his voice, it's almost impossible to believe that this is his very first single.




When my friend sent me one of his videos over Instagram the first thing that caught me was the tone of his voice. Such a silky smooth tone with so much control, range and versatility. The visuals owe a lot to the transitions - they build with the song seamlessly, all the while showcasing some of the highlights of London. It's a fantastic introduction to Sam as an artist, and before I start to overplay this, I would absolutely love to hear an acoustic piano version of this song. Sam has been belting out acoustic covers on YouTube for almost a year now, and listening to this latest single not only highlights his creative growth but perhaps more so illuminates his potential both as a performer and a vocalist. As fantastic as he sounds, I don't believe that this was far outside of his comfort zone. The ability to make something so emotive sound so effortless is nothing to be taken lightly. If this is only the beginning, then I expect that we'll continue to hear bigger and better from Sam moving forward.

Ray BLK. I feel like I've waited a long time to see her get all the credit that she's due and if I'm honest - particularly after seeing this latest video - I'm still waiting. Ray's voice, whilst smooth and silky, is still one of the most recognisable voices in the mainstream at the moment. Managing to break away from what is currently a very "same-same-but-different" radio time period. Even after winning BBC Sound Of in 2017, I still don't think we're quite hearing just how good she is.



Firstly, Ray BLK has not put out one bad or even mediocre video since she's started releasing, and sad to say it but this is definitely something to be acknowledged right now. Director Tom Green has one very well with this. Following the recent spike in street-violence around the UK (London in particular), the premise of this song comes at a necessary and relevant time. Green depicts the message of "Run Run" in a way that left scenes embedded in my head for days - the closing scene specifically. As a song, I'd say it's a bit instrumentally simple but it clearly relies on the words and the vocals to lift it up. I'm really looking forward to this new album. It will be a mixed bag but the standout tracks will hold a lasting shine no doubt. Ray BLK will be playing the o2 Forum in London on the 3rd of October - if what we've seen so far is anything to go by; it will be a show to remember.

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?

After finding out about Declan last year on BBC's Sound of 2017 longlist I wanted to catch him as soon as possible before he blew up; so when I saw that he was playing in one of my favourite Birmingham small music venues (Hare & Hounds) it was an absolute no-brainer. It also didn't hurt to have this show start off my gigs of 2017.

Supporting on the night were Leeds-based band Clay. I'd not heard of them prior and I have to say I'm a little surprised and disappointed that I hadn't - I definitely need to do more research on new Indie bands/artists because bands like these should be all over my radar. Straight off the bat they had a sound that could easily fill up a much bigger space than they were playing and each of their personalities came through clearly on stage even before they each spoke. Great stage presence and good banter from the lead singer. In terms of music, they do Indie Pop pretty well and their live material translates way better than their studio. Most memorable track for me was "6AM", but all in all, they provided good vibes to kick off the night.

Following a great mix of tracks in the interval ranging from Madonna to ABBA to Dizzee Rascal; Declan and co stepped on stage full of confidence and quiet excitement and I couldn't help but feel like I was in a scene from the movie Sing Street (if you haven't seen it yet, do, it's an amazing watch). Now with my new knowledge of Declan McKenna, I only knew a few of his songs but my favourite beforehand was "Isombard" so in my head I was thinking "yeah, he'll probably finish with that". Before I could even finish thinking about the setlist, I was hearing the opening notes of "Isombard" drowned out by the crowd's cheers and being swept up by the leaping bodies. From that moment on, I knew I was in for a fun set. As the show went on the crowd only got more and more raucous and a clear divide was beginning to form in the room between the "young adults" and the "younger adults" but nonetheless as I teetered between the two I felt good energy across the room. By the end of the set, half of the crowd was jumping about on stage as party balloons floated around searching for flailing hands. Stand-out new listens for me were "Humungous" and "Paracetamol" - I can't remember the last time in the past couple years that I came across an indie artist Declan's age or to be honest of any age, with such ear-catching songwriting abilities. He's a true creative and I am absolutely buzzing for his debut album to drop this year.

Overall Rating - 7.5/10


Here are some pictures from the night... 

Every year I put out a list of my favourite albums to come out that year but I never show love for the best EPs I've heard. Seeing as there's been a crazy amount of good music to come out this year (particularly in the later half), I figured I couldn't simply talk about LPs.

Here's a rundown of some of my most memorable EPs this year, in no particular order...

BONZAI - Lunacy
It took me a little while to get into this one. For the longest time I just kept listening to the first song "I Did" and ignoring the rest, simply because they didn't capture me as much as the first. However, after returning to it more recently I can definitely appreciate how innovative Bonzai is and how many intricate details have gone into making just these few tracks. This EP would go OFF live!



JORJA SMITH - Project 11
I spoke about Jorja a little bit on the BBC Sound of 2017 longlist but not too much on this EP. The only criticism I can give to this EP is that they should have put "Where Did I Go?" on it too. Other than that, I love her voice, I love her sound, and I'm excited to hear something unforgettable on her full length debut.


TASH SULTANA - Notion
I was very lucky to come across this one. It all sort of happened by chance; one minute I was listening to Bloc Party or whatever new thing I downloaded on my Spotify that week, and the next minute I was halfway through "Synergy". I have to say I was so impressed that I had to put it on repeat. At first the track sounded like some kind of Foals live interlude but when Tash started singing it was a whole different energy. Loved this find.



TOM MISCH - Reverie
After having heard and loved Tom's debut I have to say, it had some influence on my thoughts of the EP. Tom still has that signature sound but I guess once you hear a full length, an EP is just never quite the same. Still, as always a fabulous vibe, great features and perfect for road trips - I just wanted more of it!



CAN'T SWIM - Death Deserves A Name
This and Seaway might just be my two favourite "rock" discoveries this year! I love this EP. Chris' voice is really memorable and backed up by the band's fantastic songwriting abilities - I can definitely see exciting things around the corner for them. Especially now that they're signed to Pure Noise - most of my favourite pop punk/rock comes out of this label so I know they're in good hands.



ELLA MAI - Time
This was a Shazam discovery - I heard her song "No Rush" being played and when I listened to her EP some time later I was wildly impressed. Particularly at the fact that she was British, I had no idea from her singing voice - a part of me is always proud when I find great British talent. With artists like Jhene Aiko and Tinashe kind of taking a backseat in the mainstream at the moment, this is the perfect time for a voice like Ella's to rise up.



ARDYN - The Valley 
First thing I thought after hearing the title track was "this reminds me of so many different artists - Kins, Junip, Nick Mulvey, etc..." but at the same time, this is something wildly different. This EP really caught me and I love the lead singer's voice, such a fascinating tone and edge to it - it really adds a uniqueness to the songs. I could happily have listened to a full record from Ardyn and hope to soon.



RAYE - Second
After discovering her through the BBC Sound Of list I had a listen to the EP. After hearing the single "I, U, Us" I could hear that Raye had a voice with the potential to move pretty easily across genres, and so when I heard the second song on the album "Shhh" I was already expecting the EP to have a lot of different influences. Unfortunately it played it a little safe on the rest of the songs but safe was still skillful.



SHAKKA - The Island
Okay, here's a voice that definitely didn't play it safe! I've had my eye on Shakka for a couple years now but never really latched on until listening to this EP. He's done a lot with just a few tracks - dropping tracks with multiple influences, from dancehall to trap to soul, I expect I'll be hearing a lot of him in years to come. I'm gobsmacked he's never been on a BBC Sound Of longlist.

FLUME - Skin Companion
Flume's just been great this year all round. Skin was great and this EP was certainly a companion that held it's own. If the album needed more tracks some of these could have been great as interludes. I've been a fan of Flume since the self-titled so it's always great to hear new music where his production skills have grown - he's undeniably become a household name now. This EP couldn't have come from anyone else.

Continuing on with my thoughts on the BBC Sound of 2017 longlist. First up...

NADIA ROSE
Another one that you may know from her viral video for "Skwod". This was circulating on social media for quite a while so of course I went on to check her out - I reckon she could be very big! It's got me very excited for the future of female rap, better yet UK female rap. Artists like Nadia, Lady Leshurr and Little Simz are really just the beginning really.

It seems like just yesterday I was writing about the "BBC Sound of 2014" list and if that list is anything to go by then I have no doubts that we'll be seeing each and every one of the contenders on this list in the coming years.

This is the first longlist in years where I haven't actually listened to at least half of the artists so I wanted to use this as a time to do some research and give my opinion on them as soon as they come to mind.

AJ TRACEY
I was not ready for this! Before searching him on YouTube I was sure that I was going to see a female rapper/singer and so when "Buster Cannon" was the first thing to pop up I was pretty surprised. The song is definitely a banger, the video's very creative and I appreciate the Dragonball Z reference - in short, in less than 4 minutes, AJ Tracey has secured a new fan.

ANDERSON .PAAK A personal favourite of mine. I've had eyes on Anderson for a while and so it's very nice to see him finally coming into the limelight especially over here on British shores. He's definitely a unique and noticeable voice in a genre that's becoming rapidly more saturated. Be it on features, solo material, production or even as part of NxWorries, Paak stands apart. I expect big things...

CABBAGE
I've been seeing this band everywhere over the past few months, they've obviously been extremely busy. The more and more I saw them, I kept telling myself to check them out; to see what they're about, but we all know about procrastination. I guess there's no time like the present. After the first listen I can imagine they'd be great to see live - I haven't heard a band so brazen and British since maybe Palma Violets and this might be a level up...




DAVE
Like most, I'd only heard of Dave because Drake went ahead and remixed his hit song "Wanna Know" and of late I have to say I've been very disappointed with Drake's efforts but I at least have to applaud him for drawing attention to some lesser known names through his own music. Dave is great for now but I'd be interested to see if he has the longevity to still be around and relevant 3 years from now.




DECLAN MCKENNA
I'm actually pretty ashamed that I'm only hearing about Declan through BBC - very poor on my part. After listening to "Isombard", I feel like this might be some of my favourite indie music to come out of the UK in the past couple years. I'm almost as excited as I was when I discovered Jamie T. As well as Declan sounding familiar, he doesn't sound copy-cat or too generic.