Few bands had surged to such post-punk stature with the swift acceleration as Dublin’s Fontaines DC. Six years since their Dogrel debut, the Irish quintet have married caustic din with an affecting stir that found a natural home in the 6 Music mainstream while authentically dwelling in the fraught streets of their home city, scoring the personal and economic anxieties wrought from the impending 2020s’ bludgeon on every young person.

Four albums later, Fontaines DC arrive with this year’s Romance, a further mine of new sonic territory that sought to soak up the constellation of cities and locales that had shaped their evolving sound, composited into the glowing and exotic dystopian vision that anchors their latest LP effort. Amid a traverse of evocative and rousing numbers, Romance’s opening title track opens the door to the band’s spiky dream with perfect clangour, an intoxicating allure of industrial percussion and mammoth guitar attack hiding a heart of wistful reverie amid their cacophonous whirlwind.

Jacob Alon – ‘Liquid Gold 25’

While folk is often overlooked as a genre when it comes to awarding the Mercury Prize to artists, with no out-and-out folk record ever having received the award since its inception in 1992, Jacob Alon may still be something of an outsider choice for this year’s gong. That being said, the Scottish singer’s debut album, In Limerance, is certainly a strong pick from the judging panel, with their delicate yet detailed approach shining through on all 12 tracks.

It’s on ‘Liquid Gold 25’ where their brilliance shines through most; a song that takes its name from a brand of poppers sold in the UK, and does an expert job of bringing queer voices and culture into a notoriously tough genre to break from tradition within. Alon’s softly whispered vocals, gently strummed acoustic guitars and Fiona Apple-esque use of deft, lo-fi percussion all coalesce gorgeously as they bare their soul on a track that explores the dark underbelly of queer dating, and the internalised shame and loss of self-worth that comes with experiencing intimacy with strangers. The closing refrain of “this is where love comes to die” will hit you like a ton of bricks.

FKA Twigs – ‘Eusexua’

Bearing the spirit of techno with the idea of becoming so euphoric you transcend the physicalities of your own body, FKA Twigs’ EUSEXUA epitomises the late haze of neon strobe lights and dark alleyways in a way that resembles the slick, confident allure of Grace Jones and the electronic innovation of Björk, Sophie, and Charli XCX. There’s sensuality, playful resignation, and that space between domination and submission all over this record, undercut by a soft ambience that makes you lean into your more basic impulses.

All of this simply means that picking out a standout track is nearly impossible, but when it comes to capturing all these elements, the title track undeniably takes the cake. Inspired by Prague’s underground rave scene and that feeling “when everything moves out the way, everything in your mind is completely blank and your mind is elevated,” ‘Eusexua’ pulsates to a delicate beat with FKA Twigs’ dreamy crooning taking you some place that feels both everywhere and nowhere.

Wolf Alice – ‘Play It Out’

With every album released since their 2015 debut, My Love Is Cool, Wolf Alice have considerably expanded their palette towards something more cinematic. Despite emerging with grungy, thrashing cuts like ‘Fluffy’, the band have always championed a well-thought-out mellow number, proving lead vocalist Ellie Rowsell’s ability to be as contemplative as she can be flamboyant or angry. On their fourth album, The Clearing, some of her most impressive vocals to date emerge on expansive tracks like ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’, but nothing will stop you in your tracks quite like the vulnerable melodics of ‘Play It Out’. 

With Rowsell’s voice intimate and honest, she sings over a gentle piano backing as she contemplates her decision not to have children in a world where women are expected to ‘settle down’ at a certain age. It’s a defiant call to living for yourself, even when the pressures of societal expectation creep in. “I will rule the world, rock the cradle with a babe-less hand,” she sings, acknowledging feelings of doubt and guilt with “Might still hear screaming in the hallway from the empty pram.” These are some of Rowsell’s finest lyrics to date, making The Clearing a stunning achievement for a band who seem to just keep getting better and better.

Pulp – ‘Spike Island’

It’s a worn-out cliche but, for a lot of folks, ‘Spike Island’ was the sound of the summer this year. A triumphant return for the Sheffield titans, the single ushered in this new age of Pulp when it first hit the airwaves in April, and its sheen has yet to dull despite countless repeated listens. Harking back to the band’s earlier heyday by revolving around The Stone Roses’ fateful gig in Widnes back in 1990, the track is expert in marrying the old and new without relying solely on nostalgia points.

‘Spike Island’, in many ways, is the latest in an extensive history of Pulp separating themselves from their contemporaries. The world has seen countless Britpop reunions at this point, with two Mancunian brothers specifically coming to mind this year, but few have been approached with the same degree of creative innovation or artistic vision as Jarvis Cocker and the gang. From that not-so-secret set at Glastonbury to the band’s extensive tour across the nation, ‘Spike Island’ has been an inescapable soundtrack of the year since its initial release, and yet it musters up the same stirring emotions upon every listen.

Sam Fender – ‘Remember My Name’

Despite the inevitable tones of cynicism that are bound to fester into the achievement, it is rather poetic that Sam Fender be nominated for the Mercury Prize just as it is set to take place in his home town. Of course, as with almost every corner of his previous back catalogue, People Watching is permeated with a Geordie sensibility from its beating heart. Out of all the songs on the record, it’s ‘Remember My Name’ that truly delivers the sucker punch in defining what Fender is all about.

The heartbreaking homeliness of the song soars through the brass interlude from the Easington Colliery Band, poignantly paying homage to the musical history through the working culture of mining. But on top of this, the lyrics, which lament Fender’s grandparents in their later days as one struggles with dementia, truly get to the heart of what songwriting should always be about. There’s no fantasy or romantic pretences here, just truth. In this sense, it’s already become an anthem of Newcastle, but its equal dose of universality is what has won over the world.

CMAT – ‘EURO-COUNTRY’

​​CMAT has always been political. The singer has never been shy of making a statement or subtly feeding more serious things into her music that tend to stray towards the silly. But as she was advised to take her third album more seriously, she packaged that away and stares right down the barrel on this bold titular track.

In this climate, her decision to sing in Gaelic alone feels political, especially as on the first play, the BBC cut that entire first verse out. But it’s on the bridge where CMAT drops any veil and goes all in, raging against “all the big boys and the berties” as she tackles the Irish recession, it’s financial implications and the social ones too, addressing the mental health crisis it led to as she starkly sings “I was 12 when the Das started killing themselves all around me.” On an album full of fun, of impressive vocal performance and of her own unique brand of country-twanged indie, this is something else entirely and something that makes it clear that CMAT is more than just a good time, she’s a vital voice to listen to.

Joe Webb – ‘Hiraeth’

In what is steadily becoming the year of Oasis, it only feels fitting that an artist sporting a paisley cagoule receives a nod from the Mercurys. The Mancunian lads didn’t just inspire the cover either, as for Webb’s ‘Hiraeth’, he admitted, “For the final track ‘Hiraeth’ (Homesick in Welsh) I wanted a more chilled version of Oasis ‘Shakermaker’.” Adding, “That era was the starting point of my love of music. I loved the way it made me feel.” 

Make no mistake though, despite the choice of jacket and musical influence, these are where the Oasis comparisons end. Webb’s album is a beautiful offering of chilled-out jazz, the kind of thing you sip overpriced wine to as opposed to warm tins of Stella. However you want to listen to this album, just do it, as a record this beautifully constructed deserves the ears of people far and wide, with ‘Hiraeth’ being a great taster.

Martin Carthy – ‘The Trees They Do Grow High’

No matter what corners of music you look in, the words “folk revival” are going to be scribbled on a bathroom wall somewhere. There are two words which follow around every decade, genre and artistic movement, like a shadow. However, if we are ever going to genuinely pin them on any artist, it would have to be Martin Carthy, who took to the basements of London coffee bars in the 1960s in a bid to deliver honest, poetic and beautiful sounding folk music. 

Here we are, six decades later, and Carthy is still gracing listeners with gorgeous music. His new album, Transform Me Then Into A Fish, is a revisiting of his 1965 self-titled album. His voice wears the years like the most stylish of hats, adding personality, heart and soul into every syllable. This is an album which feels like a private endeavour, the kind that’s name should be pondered over rather than spoken aloud. Simply put, listen to all of it, but if you want a taster, start with the opener.

Pa Salieu – ‘Belly’

When Pa Salieu released his debut album, Send Them To Coventry, he had set himself up for an exciting career. That’s why it was such a blow when he was sentenced to 21 months in prison shortly after its release, a move which seemingly stopped the rapper in his tracks. After his release, he headed straight to the studio to begin work on his 2024 album Afrikan Alien, and the tenacity and passion that had been bottled up ring true in every single track. 

There are plenty of great songs to listen to on this record, but one of the highlights comes in the form of ‘Belly’. It has the fun production, great lyricisms and catchy hook-writing present which shine throughout the album. No wonder it has become one of the most popular tracks on the record, as it has an infectious energy which is difficult to get away from.

PinkPantheress – ‘Illegal’

Yes, this is the viral song that you’ve seen people shaking hands to more times than you can count. You probably don’t need me to tell you to listen to it, as those opening lyrics will already be firmly planted in your brain. However, while the song might be a touch overplayed thanks to this viral trend, it remains a great album opener and a solid representation of why PinkPantheress has made this year’s Mercury nominations list. 

It’s fun to listen to, Pink’s voice is sweet-sounding and dynamic, and the instrumentation is bouncy and easy to move to. If you’re a listener who is avidly obsessed with the current dominance of pop music, there is no doubt that this is a song you need to have in your rotation.

Emma-Jean Thackray – ‘Something Wrong With Your Mind’ into ‘Weirdo’

Music’s ability to take something personal and indescribable and make it digestible will always be one of its most appealing factors. Usually, the standard rules of romanticism apply here, as sad songs sound sad, happy songs sound happy, etc, etc, but Emma-Jean Thackray went in a totally different direction with her Mercury-nominated Weirdo. 

The whole album embraces funky jazz, humour and vibrancy as an exploration of grief. Shortly into the creative process, Thackray’s long-term partner suddenly passed away, and she decided to use the record as a way of pulling herself out of the slump she so quickly found herself in. The sound is one covered in funk; it’s great to listen to and presents grief in a way that we are much more likely to confront. The combination of the 30-second opener ‘Something Wrong With Your Mind’, straight into the title track ‘Weirdo’, are a great reflection of the unique nature of this stunning piece of music.