The nominees for the annual Mercury Music Prize were annouced this week, offering the usual mixed bag of industry cash cows (Kasabian/ The Horrors/ Friendly Fires), flavours du jour (Florence and the Machine/ La Roux), and lesser known obscure acts, thrown in to retain the illusion that the Mercury Prize actually gives a shit about good music (Speech Debelle/ Led Bib/ Sweet Billy Pilgrim).
One of the favourites to win is Florence and the Machine, and while we did love her debut, Lungs, here at BitchBuzz, we don't necessarily feel like it's prizewinning. There are certainly some strong areas (epic version of Girl with One Eye, for example), but we feel young Flo still has a way to go before she deserves such accolades. In the wise words of @roughtradeshops, there are just too many harps. She will however probably win, because at the end of the day, she will shift records. If she doesn't, Kasabian or La Roux will win for similar reasons.
While the winners of the prize may as well be taken with a pinch of salt, the nominations do tend to throw up some gems. Last year saw the wonderfully obscure Rachel Unthank and the Winterset in the running, with their gorgeously atmospheric traditional folk. They would never have got the award, because last I heard, old Cumbrian songs about sailors don't win prizes (sadly), but the nomination certainly brought the quartet to the greater attention of appreciative music lovers.
Similarly, Laura Marling gained further exposure from her nomination for her brilliant debut, Alas, I Cannot Swim, an album that is even more impressive when you consider that she was only 18 when she recorded it.(The fact that Elbow won when Radiohead's perhaps best offering yet, In Rainbows, was overlooked, is a different story entirely).
This years nominees include a similar selection of 'probably won't win, but glad you brought them to my attention' acts.
Lisa Hannigan, who provides the female vocals on Damien Rice's acclaimed O and 9, is nominated for her folky solo offering, See Sew, the star of which is her soothingly gravelly vocal.
With, according to William Hill, the slimmest chance of winning, is our favourite of this years acts, Sweet Billy Pilgrim, with their album Longshore Drift. With the dark, moodiness of Mogwai, Sweet Billy Pilgrim follow in the footsteps of baldy king of folktronica, Adem, to produce an album that is dreamily stunning.
In light of all the above, we're backing Bat for Lashes, who has been nominated for Two Suns, because she actually has a chance of winning, and Two Suns truly is a wonderful album.
If you feel like doing something crazy such as making up your own mind, check out my Spotify playlist of the nominees.