Thursday, October 29, 2020

Race for the prize

It would have been a travesty if the timing of the release of Keys' Bring Me The Head Of Jerry Garcia and Silent Forum's Everything Solved At Once - sandwiched between last year's Welsh Music Prize ceremony and Christmas - had meant they were overlooked for this year's shortlist. Thankfully, I needn't have worried - they're both on there, together with a couple of other personal favourites (Islet's Eyelet and Los Blancos' Sbwriel Gwyn).

The fact that Kidsmoke are also in the running alongside Keys, Silent Forum and Los Blancos is testament to the exceptionally high quality of the current Libertino stable, and means there's a good chance that last year's victors Adwaith will be succeeded by another of Gruff's charges. Bubblewrap also have three of their releases in contention, though, and on the strength of their showings at the label's tenth birthday party show in December, Right Hand Left Hand and Cotton Wolf must be in with a shout.

As is always the way with these things, the list also serves as a chastening reminder that my finger isn't quite as on the pulse as I'd like to think, given my complete ignorance of several of the other nominees. Still, the announcement will certainly prompt further investigation.

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