Genius can't draw. (Mercury Music Prize)

Member Name: thoamy

Product:	Mercury Music Prize
Date:	10/09/00 (40 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: n/a

Disadvantages: n/a

Unfortunately, I haven't heard all of the albums - or indeed, all of the artists - up for the award this year. Kathryn Williams, MJ Cole, Nitin Sawney and Nicholas Maw have sadly failed to enter my consciousness, and I haven't really heard enough of The Delgados, Coldplay or Helicopter Girl to be authorised to comment. I do, however, have something to say about the rest.

First Leftfield - a great band, I reckon. I loved their first album, and their latest has some really impressive, booming electronica on it. As an album, though, it doesn't quite stand up to the competition - too many fillers, in my opinion. Perhaps they've shot themselves in the foot a bit; it's got to be hard to fill an entire album with music up to the standard of, say, Phat Planet.

Death In Vegas are definitely worthy contenders, I reckon. The NME adored The Contino Sessions, and along with Primal Scream, David Holmes, and perhaps even the Super Furry Animals, Death In Vegas are going a long way towards carving out a new genre for themselves. Kind of rock music with the structure of electronic music - call it guitar dance, or sample-based rock, or something like that. Their first album, Dead Elvis, however, is amazing. The Contino Sessions was a diappointment for me, compared to Dead Elvis. The recognition came when they got some big names on board, and abandoned some of the more experimental electronica, and that's a bad thing, in my opinion. Still, a great band.

Then there's the small matter of Richard Ashcroft. He isn't one of the favourites, and rightly so. Quite why he's up for the prize is beyond me, because as far as I can see, his music isn't worth shouting about. Not at all original, and pushing the boundaries of little but himself, whatever he's done for music in the past, his solo work is average at best.

I was introduced to Doves by a fan - like a cross between Radiohead and Mogwai, but original too, was
his summary. So my expectations were high... and I was disappointed. I can get the Radiohead thing - there's some of their schizoid song structure to be found. And the Mogwai, too, what with Doves' liking of extended, emphasised chord progressions. But there was a little too much of the New Radicals in there for my liking. Catchy, likeable, but with little of the originality, or songwriting proficieny, with which they are so often credited. Cheesier than I'd hoped.

So Badly Drawn Boy, then. He's the one who deserves to win it, in my opinion. Beyond the insanely catchy, loveable sounds of Once Around the Block and Disillusion, there's some outstanding music on his album. Whether a 40 second interlude or a seven minute masterpiece, the tracks all impress, and all charm. Lyrical content beats most of today's efforts hands down, and he handles pretty much every side of the music himself. I first listened to this on a Virgin Megastore listening post, and I was there for 45 minutes - I kid you not. About three times longer than I've ever managed before, I was transfixed.

As to how he compares to the other acts up for the award, I reckon the music speaks for itself. But from what I've heard of the other nominees, Badly Drawn Boy comes closest to genius. The Hour Of Bewilderbeast is original, beautifully constructed, charming, emotional, and incredibly entertaining. What else is there to say - even his name's cool. And I'll be happy whatever the outcome, as the very fact that he's been nominated pretty much guarantees a second album.

UPDATE:

HE WON!

Summary: