FEATURE:
Spotlight
IN THIS PHOTO: Loyle Carner snapped for Interview in May 2017/PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Holyoak
Loyle Carner
__________
THERE are a few artists who get all the love…
IN THIS IMAGE: The cover for Loyle Carner’s 2017 album, Yesterday’s Gone/IMAGE CREDIT: Getty Images
and seem to glide by without much trouble - and then there are those who have to fight a bit harder because their music means that much more. There was a lot of talk around Loyle Carner when his debut album, Yesterday’s Gone, arrived at the start of last year. I recall listening to the album when it came out and being blown away by the originality! There are British Hip-Hop and Rap artists who can move you and get the mind but none have the same personality and passion as Loyle Carner. It is something about his delivery and wordplay that is superior to the competition. One hears anger and determination but there is never needless aggression and boasting. The man has confidence and is slick with a rhyme but never boasts and shows off without being able to back it up. There is humbleness and modest that is hard to find in the genre and, unlike a lot of U.S. Hip-Hop artists, the subject matter is less about boasting and wealth and more concerned with the everyday lives and beat of the street. I think British Hip-Hop has always been second to that coming from America but with artists like Loyle Carner and Kate Tempest bringing their brand of poetry and passion to the party; we have some genuine competition for the giants of American Hip-Hop. Many have been asking whether there is going to be a follow-up to Yesterday’s Gone and what we might expect next year.
I guess two years is a little while when it comes to following up albums but Carner needs time to craft the material and get the feeling right. Benjamin Gerard Coyle-Larner (‘Loyle Carner’ is a spoonerism of his surname) is a Lambeth-born, Croydon-raised artist who was brought up by his mum, Jean, and stepdad (Nik) had minimal contact with his birth father growing up. Having been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia as a child; Loyle Carner moved through the ranks and fought hard to get his voice out there. He studied at the Brit School and was enrolling in a Drama degree when his birth father died of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. Carner decided to embark on a career in music and focused on that passion. A dedicated Liverpool F.C. supporter and someone who wears his heart on sleeve; you can hear Carner’s life and loves spill out in his music. He is enormously close to his mum and she has even been involved in his music/videos. Everything about Carner has that honesty and humbleness. He is close to family and where he grew up and has not forgotten his roots. Yesterday’s Gone is the distillation of his early life and his rise; everything that made him and what he wants to achieve. The album was nominated for a Mercury Prize in 2017 and lost out to Sampha’s Process.
I felt Loyle Carner should have won the award and boasts the stronger record. Whilst Process has soulfulness and is emotional stunning; Yesterday’s Gone has more variation and lasts longer in the mind! The way Carner rhymes and raps; what conversational style and stunning flow that brings the words to life and paints vivid pictures - there are few out there like him. A sophistication can be heard through every song and the lyrics really grab you. It is as though you are rolling with Carner and walking along with him. A lot of Hip-Hop artists can divide with their aggressiveness or what they are talking about – a grand or dangerous life – but Loyle Carner takes you into his world and, like a musical host, shows you every sight and sound. Reviews for Yesterday’s Gone were hugely impressive and effusive. The Guardian had this to say:
“It’s not all heavy going. Carner worries about girls too, and text messages (+44). Another interlude, Rebel 101, finds him being ordered to “eat bad food and party” by producer Rebel Kleff. But instead of posturing then landing a couple of blows to the soft tissue, Carner’s scuffed, wry flows grab you by the feels from the get-go and do not relinquish their grip. All of his candid songs so far have built up a picture of a thoughtful young man rejected by his biological father, sustained by his family, propelled forward by his ADHD diagnosis (he has set up a cookery programme for others with the condition, Chili Con Carner)...
On Florence, he imagines cooking pancakes for an imaginary little sister; Kwes sings the hook. The death of his beloved stepfather in 2014 prompted Carner to give up a place at the Brit School studying drama to take his place as a breadwinner. In this sense he’s a hustler, parlaying his biography into pounds and pence”.
NME approached the L.P. from another angle:
“On ‘Yesterday’s Gone’ US rap’s trademark arrogance is replaced by unabashed sensitivity and some serious emotional openness. If it seems like you’re listening to Coyle-Larner reading out his diary when you listen, well, that’s because you kind of are. This is music as catharsis, with much of the sonically laid-back album dealing with family, loss and friendship, over lived-in J Dilla and Tribe Called Quest-worthy beats. But that’s not to say that there aren’t some significant bangers in the mix. As epic album openers go, ‘The Isle Of Arran’ is way up there. A glorious gospel choir sample and a warm old-school soul sound both play out behind Coyle-Larner’s effortless flow, as he serves up a heartrending study of grief and a family in turmoil, like Kanye West had he watched one too many episodes of EastEnders”.
It is interesting listening to The Isle of Arran and hearing all those layers and brilliant moments. Few Hip-Hop artists can deal with family heartache and pains and make it sound so beautiful and dramatic. It is a wonderful opening and gives you everything you need to know about Loyle Carner!
Collaborations with Tom Misch (Damselfly) and Kwes. (Florence) show he can bring others into the mix without stealing focus or letting them having too much of a say. The collaborators on the album – Rebel Kleff is amazing on NO CD and No Worries – are brilliant and give Yesterday’s Gone and more rounded and community feel. It is unsurprising someone who is close to family and has that sensitivity would bring friends and allies to the record. What shines above everything else is the variation and lyrical prowess. NO CD is a swaggering, confident song that, yes, is actually does name-check C.D.s! Yesterday’s Gone is perfectly weighted so you have two incredible tracks leading and we finish with the title-track. There are fifteen tracks (on the album) but it never sounds too long and there are no fillers. The songs have their identity but hang together as a cohesive and deeply personal statement. By the end of proceedings, you get to know about Loyle Carner, his family and where he comes from – and where he intends to go. Ain’t Nothing Changed is my favourite because not only are there incredible lyrics and a powerful lead vocal but the composition is fantastic. Smooth and caramel horns run throughout and beautifully bring the song to land. I have put a couple of reviews in and, by the end of 2017; Yesterday’s Gone was in most critics’ top-ten list. An award-nominated album that got under the skin and announced this incredible talent; we were seeing this confident and confessional songwriter show his heart and soul with every line.
There were, of course, gigs and appearance after the album and Loyle Carner has been busy since January 2017. The new single, Ottolenghi, joins Carner with Jordan Rakei and, again, it is a perfect combination. I feel the lyrics of Ottolenghi are among the strongest he has ever produced and one of the most immersive stories. We hear about our hero on the train and the rain coming down; children wondering if the sun will ever come and an potentially edgy situation stemming from a misunderstanding – “They ask about the Bible I was reading/Told them that the title was misleading/Labelled it Jerusalem/but really it's for cooking Middle Eastern”. You get the image of Carner reading this cooking book – where the title of the song stems from – and people thinking he was reading something provocative and controversial. The track is about the twenty-four-year-old knowing it is easy to go back and feel lost and he looks forward and wonder whether he’ll ever raise a child. It is the Hip-Hop poet assessing life and taking stock of everything that has unfolded. This makes me wonder whether we will see another Loyle Carner album next year. The intent and drive is there and fans of Yesterday’s Gone will be intrigued to see where he goes and what comes next. His debut was about the path he has walked and his family; the mix of heartache and strength and living in a complicated world.
Given what has happened in the country – from Brexit to the Grenfell tragedy – it might give Carner impetus for songs and, whatever he comes up with, it is going to be a hotly-anticipated album. There are some promising British Hip-Hop artists around right now, including Not3s and Lady Leshurr, but there is something about Loyle Carner that stands him aside from the pack. Maybe it is the confessional style of the lyrics and the accessibility of the music that means it is easier to get involved with and suitable for all moods. I hear a lot of modern Hip-Hop and it intense a lot of the time and accusatory; it relies on phat beats and jagged electronics and does not really stretch the palette. Carner can bring in Jazz elements and homemade beats; something D.I.Y. with soothing, grand swells that give the songs fresh dimensions and nuances. This is the reason Yesterday’s Gone was taken to heart and received such praise. Loyle Carner is still, in my mind, the leader of British Hip-Hop and it is quite a lot to put on his shoulder! I am excited to see where he steps next and what his next album contains. Music needs someone like him: a truth-telling and popular artist who can unite cutting realities with poetic and elegant thoughts. On Ain’t Nothing Changed; Carner confesses that he’s “just another number”. When you look at all he has achieved and what he gives to music that assessment could not be...
IN THIS PHOTO: Loyle Carner snapped for Interview in May 2017/PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Holyoak
FURTHER from the truth.