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.

J. Cole was touring the UK last month with his latest album 2014 Forest Hills Drive and I was lucky enough to catch him on the Birmingham leg of his tour...

Something that really took this show up in ratings was it's ridiculously talented and diverse supporting line up. First up was the Dreamville collective, consisting of Omen, Cozz and Bas.  I'd never actually heard of any of these rappers before the show but they're definitely a collective you'll want to have your eye on. Cozz especially caught my attention - great flow and stage presence. Even though they each only had time to perform about 3 or 4 songs each, I feel they could've held together a much longer set if granted one. Really interesting artists and each quite different from one another.

Next up - Pusha T. Now, Pusha T is one of those artists that you don't realise how many of their songs you actually know until you see them live. At first I was thinking "Man, I'm going to be the only one here who has no idea what songs he's playing" but I actually knew a lot more than I thought. Obviously when he played hits like "Move That Dope", "Mercy" and "Sweet Serenade" the crowd went OFF! The set went on for a little longer than I'd expected but the vibes were so elevated that we hardly noticed. Way to get the crowd ready for the main event...

But not so fast, an appearance from the lovely Jhene Aiko first. Jhene is a goddess. Such a big presence, the crowd lost their minds when the lights dimmed for her set. I was a little confused when she stepped on stage and just sat down straight away but luckily she popped back up after the first song. Her voice is just as heavenly live as it is on record, to be honest, it's even more mesmerising in person. "The Worst" just felt surreal. It was like my mind was swelling for the entire performance. It's hard to believe that it was just a support performance. It really put into perspective just how good/big J. Cole really is.

Speaking of which, the main event - J. Cole. What a crowd pleaser! Not only did he play 2014 Forest Hills Drive in it's entirety, but he even played some of his biggest hits from Born Sinner and his mixtape - The Warm Up. His setlist could not have possibly been any better. Everyone's excitement levels were on a high, the crowd was frenetic. Album highlights "Wet Dreamz", "Tale Of 2 Citiez", "G.O.M.D." and of course "No Role Modelz" were even bigger moments live. Three albums in and you could just feel from the energy that J. Cole has secured a fan base that will stick around and memorise his lyrics for many years to come. It also helps that he has an endearing personality - his anecdotes and tales of growing up made him more relatable and put the icing on the cake. New and old fans alike; this show resonated with everyone in the audience and I know that we all went home feeling amazing. Brilliant night!

Overall Rating - 9/10


Here are some pictures from the show...