Loyle Carner
Yesterday's Gone
(AMF)
A crackle of vinyl and a sample of a glorious gospel choir provide an ecstatic introduction to 'Isle of Arran' which opens Loyle Carner's outstanding debut album. Carner is a 22 year old rapper from South London and ’Yesterday’s Gone' is an extraordinarily personal and soulful record. The album offers a candid glimpse into Carner’s life with lyrics handles such delicate subjects as his own ADHD, his family life, relationships and the death of his stepfather.
There's also touching humour on the spoken word interludes including an amusing conversation with his mother about his swearing. Elsewhere the brief '+44' feels like the introspective late night regrets of a character that Kate Tempest may have created.
The infectious ode to his music collection ‘NO CD’ reflects on his condition ‘(I) place them up in perfect order cause my OCD’. However, the most touching moment on ‘Yesterday’s Gone’ is delivered by his mother on ‘Sun of Jean’ who recalls her child ‘… he used to draw on anything, fantastical creatures with ferocious fangs, and now he draws with words...he turned the world upside down and were richer for it'.
'Yesterday's Gone' is a powerful, thoughtful and unabashed collection of songs, it’s an early contender for album of the year.
