Mercury Prize Pocket Guides: Part 3

In the final part of three pocket guides, Matt Everitt profiles four of this year’s Mercury Award nominated albums, with archive interviews and deep cuts.

The first album he covers is by North Shields indie rock musician Sam Fender. Seventeen Going Under is his second album and explores his upbringing and how it’s affected his life today.

Self Esteem is the pseudonym of Sheffield musician Rebecca Taylor. Prioritise Pleasure is an unabashed pop album that looks at how women have to navigate through society, with wit and a wry smile.

Isle of Wight’s Wet Leg shot to fame with their debut single Chaise Longue. Their breezy self-titled debut album covers subjects as broad as doomscrolling, supermarkets and party fatigue.

The last album Matt covers is The Overload by art punkers Yard Act. The Leeds group paints a portrait of Britain that’s inhabited by a cast of unlikable characters, described fastidiously to a Fall-esque backbeat.