Loyle Carner wears his heart on his sleeve, he tells it how it is and as a result, this is a record that’s free, less forced, more authentic, but lacks a stand-out anthem. It’s a more fluid, flowing album, his verses like a bright blue river find it’s way to the sea, with nothing there to stop it except a bad day – but that’s something he’ll turn into a verse tomorrow. Yet the big hitters of his debut, ‘NO CD’ and ‘Ain’t Nothing Change’, both of which have choruses that’ll get stuck in your head, aren’t repeated this time round and the album lacks a stand-out centre piece as a result.
Carner’s more honest this time round however. He’s more upfront with his fans about personal issues and obstacles he’s faced, none more so than his Dad, which comes up numerous times but none more intimate than in a soundbite following ‘Ice Water’, where Carner converses with a taxi driver. And it’s these intimate moment that reminds us why we love Loyle, why he’s not just a lovely boy, but the loveliest of boys.
He wears his heart on his sleeve and is unapologetically himself, incorporating his personality and life into his music. The opening and closing track sees Carner and his mother exchange ‘letters’ to each other, the latter a poem from Mother Jean to her son, which becomes the most heartwarming moment on the album. Equally, his personal hobbies to come the fore. ‘Ottolenghi’ pays tribute to his cooking-roots, whilst ‘It’s Coming Home’ pays homage to his love of the beautiful game, taking you into his living room at the moment ol’ Eric Dier smashed it into the Colombian net to hand England their first penalty win in a knock-out. Goosebumps.
His ability to take everyday moments and sincere, intimate human relationships and turn them into a catchy tune has brought everyone in the music world together to admire his brilliance. No matter what your preferred genre is, Carner is someone you can’t really ignore.
🍒🍒🍒
Words by Johnny Rogerson
