It took me far too long to get around to listening to this album after it came out but after listening just once, I knew it'd feature somewhere on this list. In at number 22 is Kali Uchis with her debut album Isolation.

Before this year I'd only really listened to "Divine" and "Tyrant" and so knew the sound of Kali Uchis' voice but I wouldn't say that I was her biggest fan at this point. It wasn't until I heard "After The Storm (feat. Tyler, The Creator and Bootsy Collins)" earlier this year that I actually kept her fixed on my radar. This track has featured on a large number of my playlists this year - so silky, and so catchy. I can't tell you the amount of days I woke up with it already stuck in my head.

My favourites right now are ever-changing - "Miami (feat. BIA)", "Just A Stranger (feat. Steve Lacy)", "Your Teeth In My Neck" and "After The Storm". The ongoing theme of Kali's dealings with coming to America to "make it", and exploring her feelings of homesickness come through strongly and create a really captivating narrative across the whole album - something that I was worried it wouldn't be able to do given the length of the overall record.  However, my one criticism would be that despite how good her voice sounds, it's not the most memorable vocal I've heard recently. Easily recognisable but doesn't quite stick in my head like Ravyn Lenae's voice does for example. With that said, Kali Uchis does have a sort of soft nostalgia to her voice that can have the listener swept up even before the chorus and whilst I do seem to prefer her songs with feature artists/collaborators, she does know how to carry a song solo.

I often say that sometimes "the more cooks, the merrier" applies when it comes to music and in this case it hits the nail on the head. Collaborative work comes from Damon Albarn, BADBADNOTGOOD, Kevin Parker and Thundercat to name just a few of the people who contributed to this debut; with this line-up the album was almost fool-proof. Isolation is an amazing building block in Kali's music career - I'm just hoping it's onwards and upwards from here.

Check out the album that dropped in at number 22 last year here.

And September is upon us - as summer fades away slowly we get into the last quarter of the year with each of these albums to keep us company. I gave my opinions on last year's list and this year more than ever I'm split on the shortlist choices.

ARCTIC MONKEYS - Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino
Now I was more disappointed than shocked that this was amongst the list of nominees. Arctic Monkey's sixth studio album sounded more to me like Alex Turner (and friends)'s debut album. At several points the album felt lethargic in delivery. Lyrically there are some shining moments, however - perhaps partially on account of my high expectations - this album wasn't able to wow me in the way that I'd hope a Mercury Prize nominee to.

EVERYTHING EVERYTHING - A Fever Dream
THIS ALBUM! I am so over the moon that this has made the shortlist because this is one of the best bodies of work that they have put out since Man Alive and it deserves to be recognised as such. Quite a few of my favourite instrumental performances of last year happened on this album. One thing I will say is that I'm unsure as to whether it will top the list, having only made it to number 15 on my AOTY list last year.

EVERYTHING IS RECORDED - Everything Is Recorded By Richard Russell
This was a name that I had expected to see in the line up as soon as it was released. The calibre of artists featured on this project makes it impossible not to be impressed. The project spans a number of genres, emotions and styles and still manages to mesh them together seamlessly. Richard Russell and co did very well with this and after listening to their latest single "Carry Me" I couldn't be more excited for what might be next. This album is a very strong contender for the top spot.

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE - High As Hope
It's no secret the love and adoration I have in my heart for Florence Welch. What a blessing. And so it comes as no surprise to me that she has made the Mercury Prize shortlist. Now, whilst I don't believe High As Hope to be their best work, there is something exceptionally special and more importantly different here. I was wary of FATM falling into a rut and following a blueprint but smething has switched up ever so slightly here. Another album that has a solid shot at the top spot.

JORJA SMITH - Lost & Found
This is probably my "I wouldn't be surprised but I'd be very disappointed if this album won" this year. I have a lot of strong opinions surrounding this album but the overarching one for me is that this was released far too early. It felt rushed and felt like it was rammed down the public's throats in order to keep interest levels piqued whilst she's still a cash cow. I feel like regardless of how good her voice is - and it really, really is - there were some gaping holes in this album and I felt like she sold herself a bit short here unfortunately.

KING KRULE - The OOZ
The first time I listened to this album it was in the perfect conditions - a long and cold commute in London - and upon first listen I really enjoyed it. However, since then I haven't been in the mood to listen to it all the way through again even once. I know that once winter comes back in full force, it'll be a welcomed soundtrack to those colder nights. Although, I don't think that this is quite enough to win it the Prize. However, his ability to stay original and authentic will always give King Krule major points in my book.

LILY ALLEN - No Shame
Lily Allen back doing what she does best - being witty, ironic and at the same time melodically refreshing. The feature artists were what caught my attention initially as they were unexpected collaborations but they definitely complimented each other well. After her unlikely collaboration with Common years ago, I should have known better. My favourite tracks at the moment are "Higher", "Family Man", and "Apples". This might just be a wild card for me on the list of contenders. 

NADINE SHAH - Holiday Destination
It's been a long time since I heard Nadine Shah's name mentioned if I'm honest. When she first popped up on my radar it was as a unique, fresh, up-and-comer and shortly after I saw her featured on Ghostpoet's album Shedding Skin. Now after three years, she's back in my life and with a Mercury Prize nomination no less! Way to make an entrance. The album itself is perfect for right now - lyrically and sonically this is just what we need to hear. It's instrumentally unpredictable and interesting - Nadine does experimental very well. 

NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS - Who Built The Moon?
Another name I hadn't heard a lot from musically in a while until this year. Listening to this album made me miss Kasabian at first if I'm honest. I love that instrumentally Noel has taken quite a few risks throughout and has really expanded his use of sound. The intro "Fort Knox" in particular had my head nodding throughout - there are lots layers to unpack. As a whole it's a very solid piece of work - particularly now that a large amount of Indie Rock tends to fall into one generic pit of rhythmic guitars.

NOVELIST - Novelist Guy
I didn't know too much about Novelist before this shortlist came around. Of course I'd seen his name littering the mainstream charts, however I'd never taken the time to do a deep dive. Knowing that he is a Grime artist, I was surprised at how experimental and unique his songs are. The lyrics let him down a little bit and because of this I wouldn't put his hat in the ring to win but he deserves notice for attempting to do something different within Grime.

SONS OF KEMET  - Your Queen Is A Reptile
A new discovery for me. I'd heard the name "Sons Of Kemet" before, but hadn't heard one note or word until this shortlist was released. After hearing the name, I was expecting more of a Metal group so the Jazz caught me off guard. A very welcomed surprise though. After reading the tracklist and realising its connection with the title I was already invested and so the intricate beats and standout percussion were just the icing on the whole cake. Really enjoyed this record. Only qualm is that this hasn't adequately represented each of the quality Jazz albums of this year.

WOLF ALICE - A Vision Of Life
If you'd have given me a crystal ball in 2015 after they released My Love Is Cool and I'd seen their name on this shortlist I would've sighed... heavily. However, seeing their name on the list now, I'm actually not too perturbed. I was super disappointed with their debut because I'd expected something significantly different. A Vision Of Life is much closer to what I'd previously envisioned from them and you can hear the improvement from each member - still not sure that it's a contender but I'm much more satisfied with their entry now.

August has arguably been the busiest month for music this year, so this is just a snippet of some of the headlines that I've seen sprawled across my timeline recently. Alongside the different pieces of news, some of my favourite albums of the year so far have finally been released in a rush to make all of those end of year lists. I'll be interested to see what September holds.


PARAMORE ANNOUNCE TOUR 3
Once again the UK shores are being blessed by the presence of Paramore. Tour 3 is only 5 dates long but is being played in some of Britain's biggest arenas. After having these last few months to jam along to After Laughter in all of its' greatness, the prospect of seeing it amplified live is all I could wish for. The tour starts off in Cardiff on the 11th of January, what a way to start off the new year.

TAYLOR SWIFT NEW MUSIC VIDEO "LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO"
I normally prefer to write about things that I've enjoyed or that show some potential, but I felt like I should say something about Taylor's new one. Supposedly this is intended to be a "diss track" aimed at Kanye. To be honest, after watching the video, I was embarrassed not only for Taylor, but also for myself for kind of liking it. Yep, the video's pretty eye-catching. In terms of the music however, it's lyrically sub par, and musically very boring in my opinion. BUT credit where due, as much as it pains me to say it - "Look What You Made Me Do" is a pretty good music video.

MARMOZETS NEW MUSIC VIDEO "PLAY"
It's been a long time since hearing anything new from Marmozets and after choosing their debut The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets as my number one album in 2014, it goes without saying that I was expecting big things. "Play" lyrically is not their best tune but this song will definitely be a hard hitter in their live shows. Already one of my favourite live bands ever, I can't wait to see this one added to the roster.

BEST EX NEW MUSIC VIDEO "SEE YOU AGAIN"
Previously known as Candy Hearts, Best Ex are here with a new summer anthem, and their first under the new name. Mariel has a voice that'll make you smile whatever the track, and this is no exception. "See You Again" comes from their debut EP Ice Cream Anti Social and the only thing I'd say is that if nostalgic pop punk is your vibe, then this is right up your street.

SYD NEW SINGLE "BAD DREAM/NO LOOKING BACK"
Yes yes. Syd's had her unmistakable vocals on a lot of tunes this year, making it a very busy year in her camp. Now she's blessed another slow bop with her sensual singing, and I suspect I'll hear this on the Insecure soundtrack sooner rather than later. I love hearing Syd create on her own, but "Bad Dream/No Looking Back" has definitely made me more excited for a potential third The Internet album in the future.

INHEAVEN NEW SINGLE "STUPID THINGS"
This popped up on my "Recommended" list on YouTube and thought I'd give it a listen after hearing good things about Inheaven. It's been a long time since I've listened to shoegaze-y, alt rock singles like "Stupid Things" and this was done refreshingly well. I'll definitely be checking out their new album on the 1st of September.

JORJA SMITH X PREDITAH NEW SINGLE "ON MY MIND"
Jorja Smith, back with a shoutout to old school UK garage, and I love it. Back in the day and even now, I'm a sucker for UK garage so to have it back on the airwaves gives me hope for the radio. People still continue to call her underrated, but since finding out about her last year she's taken some pretty huge steps recognition-wise, and I feel like it's just the beginning for her. Ratings will continue to pile up after "On My Mind".

DAUGHTER NEW SINGLE "BURN IT DOWN"
Another one that I've been looking forward to for a while now. After I heard this new single I had to admit to myself that Daughter are 100% one of my favourite bands of the decade at the moment. Grand statement but I stand by it. Elena Tonra's voice is just magical and the drums on "Burn It Down" definitely keep the song lodged in my head.

IAMDDB NEW MUSIC VIDEO "SHADE"
After her recent appearance on Berlin Colors, people are finally starting to take notice of IAMDDB and the smooth sounds she's been bringing to the table, and rightfully so! Since her debut EP Waeveybby Volume 1 I knew it was only a matter of time before she made herself known. This new video for "Shade" doesn't showcase her best music to date in my opinion, BUT aesthetically, this is what IAMDDB is all about.

KNOWER NEW MUSIC VIDEO "OVERTIME"
This is actually a new discovery for me and Knower have left me with a very memorable impression. While watching "Overtime" I was thinking "ah! a new band having a go at DIY" and then as the video went on it became more and more apparent how professional these musicians actually are. Then I looked at their Facebook page and it all clicked into place - 30K+ likes. On a similar thread to Hiatus Kaiyote, this is a new band for me that I'll be keeping an eye out for.  

ROAM NEW MUSIC VIDEO "PLAYING FICTION"
It's been a pretty great month for Pop Punk with Neck Deep's new album, MAYPINE's debut EP and now ROAM's new single "Playing Fiction". After the last album, this single is a big step up and if it's anything to go by, then the new album out on the 13th of October is going to be a collection of their best work yet and could even be a contender on a lot of this year's "album of year" lists. As for the video, it'll be one that sticks in my mind for sure - creative concept, very well executed.

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.

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.