Mercury Prize Nominees: Terrific
Has this been a classic year for music? Judged by the usual plastic inanities of the singles charts, it might not seem like we are in the midst of any kind of musical renaissance. But the strongest Mercury Prize list in years dares to suggest otherwise. This is a shortlist full of dynamic, adventurous, accessible music of the very highest order. It suggests that the last 12 months have been nurturing something pretty exceptional. And, for once, it actually features artists most people might have heard of — Anohni, David Bowie, Laura Mvula, Radiohead and Savages, all pictured above.
