ALBUM OF THE MONTH: hugo

The only relationship that remains loyal is an artist to their art; Loyle Carner epitomizes this and more.

Describing anything as perfect breathes an unrealistic narrative that is incognizant of reality. However, in my unworthy opinion, Loyle Carner's 3rd album, hugo, comes incredibly close.

Where do I begin with the British-Guyanese rapper's 10-track album? Maybe within the first 40 seconds of its first track, Hate. Right from the get-go, Hate dives into a chalice of fire. Carner has some softness to his voice that is incredibly raw but is somehow manifested into such a charging tone. If you tie in the accompanying beat and all that jazz (quite literally), then what you get is a masterpiece.

A deep, deep fire roars in all directions on this album. It tackles identity, race, religion, and his relationship with his father; in relation to his mixed-race roots. These are engraved into his lyrics with Hate:

I fear love, religion, I fear drugs, the feeling

I fear us, fear us

Nearing the end, but I can't comprehend my fears

Wisdom, I fear him

Yeah, I fear the colour of my skin

I fear the colour of my kin

I still feel the colour that's within

What is more, hugo's first 3 tracks take you on an adventure that you were never expecting. The powerful gospel ballads that feature in Nobody Knows (Ladas Road) ultimately make it a fan favourite, soaked into a formidable chronicle. Georgetown maintains the intensity of the production; Carner features a poem by Guayense playwright, John Agard, entitled 'Half-Caste'. Again, a feature such as this as well as the rapper's lyrics demonstrate the themes as aforementioned. This is no joke. If you only do one thing, make sure it is getting through those first 3 tracks back-to-back! WARNING: Side effects may include the melting of ears.

Some of the reviews I have read paint the picture, of that feeling that I have inside of me every time I listen to hugo. These are some fitting testaments that I enjoyed:

"Like Michael Kiwanuka, Carner's first two albums were occasionally terrific but his third is a masterpiece." - The Observer (UK)

"AOTY contender from top to bottom. Every track gets better with each listen." - garpar

"Loyle peels back some of the layers of grief that weaved between his previous releases in order to directly touch on an unrealised anger that comes hand in hand with mixedness. The well of his emotion is still very much filled but this time he’s pulling up buckets of frustration." - The Clash

Album Rating: 9.5/10