#21

That’s true but I don’t think many of those bands ended up releasing great albums off the back of those influences. Silent Alarm is the only one I can think of off the top of my head. I’m probably forgetting lots of good stuff though.

This year alone though the albums from Squid, BC,NR, Dry Cleaning and LICE have all been really solid and were not even halfway through the year

#22

i mean i put the Futureheads debut as better than all of those, but I was a bit of a fanboy

Also the new Shame album in the category you mentioned

3 Likes
#23

I think hype tended to buckle those bands a bit. Albums could end up feeling super overproduced, or second albums would capitalise too strongly on successful singles or what have you

1 Like
#24

It’s really decent.

bit modern Zappa, Fall, etc. I like the spacey stuff in it.

How limited is the green vinyl?

I play my PART

#25

I like this though. It’s a more spacier length than BC,NR or Dry Cleaning, so it’ll probably take longer for me to properly get my head around it all!

1 Like
#26

Really enjoying this on first listen.

Obviously lots of influences already mentioned, but they remind me of Jarcrew quite a lot, and I’m sure I remember an interview with one of the guys from Warp saying they wished they’d signed Jarcrew, so it seems like they’ve gone in for the 2020’s version instead. I’m fully on board for it.

The ending of Narrator still absolutely kills.

Really pleased it’s living up to early expectations after those singles and the Town Centre EP

1 Like
#27

Who is getting shortlisted for the Mercury Prize this year

  • Squid
  • Black Midi
  • Black Country, New Road
  • Dry Cleaning
  • None of them

0 voters

#28

I think Dry Cleaning definitely. That’s a very Mercury album, ngl

1 Like
#29

I really like that Shame album, and it’s not normally my thing.

1 Like
#30

Black Squidi, New Cleaning?

2 Likes
#31

Must’ve liked it then. I was just like “this album is an hour long, I must be about halfway through, right?”

Nope, six minutes to go!

#32

Yeah, they were all having success in the top 40 too so I guess they were pressured into rushing out new music. I don’t follow the charts anymore but can’t see Black MIDI breaking into the top 10 any time soon so hopefully they can all do things on their own terms

#33

I think one thing that’s cool about this lot of groups is their approach to releases, the structure and content of the albums seems to be driven by the artist rather than the label needing big singles or what have you, like BC,NR having a “This is what we were playing live last year, enjoy, we’re going to make more stuff now” spiel or Squid’s all new material, recorded in one session approach. You’ve got the pandemic too which I think yer man from Black Midi said made them focus more on verse-chorus-verse stuff. Hopefully it all stays fresh and interesting innit

1 Like
#34

the horns around the “eggs are always cheaper” bit at the end of Documentary Filmmaker are just oooh

#35

I bought the LP, watching the numbers fall on Normans Records to the last copy was killing me. Got the last green one.

#36

Yeah they’re solid, big fan. Thought they were great at Green Man in 2019, excellent fun.

#37

Can’t see black midi getting nominated again seeing as they were for the first album

1 Like
#38

This poll has just made realise something I felt but couldn’t quite put my finger on recently - how the hot new UK bands at the moment are all quite similar in style - particularly the non-traditional vocals. I wonder what’s caused that? Or did labels pick up on the hype of Black Midi’s first album and pile in?

#39

Black Midi, BCNR and Squid (alongside others) are all Windmill regulars I believe and so they share a venue and a label (Speedy Wunderground) that released some of their earliest stuff and kind of drew on each other too

1 Like
#40

Ah! Makes sense. I’m struggling with the vocals (they feel a bit affected to me) but love the music. I’m torn.