…in the heads of the judges of the Mercury Music Prize?  It’s that time of year and the short list is out.

1. Bat For Lashes – Two Suns
2. Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires
3. Florence and The Machine – Lungs
4. Glasvegas – Glasvegas
5. The Invisible – The Invisible
6. Lisa Hannigan – See So
7. The Horrors – Primary Colours
8. Kasabian – West Rider Lunatic Pauper Asylum
9. La Roux – La Roux
10. Led Bib – Sensible Shoes
11. Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy
12. Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Twice Born Men

After the popular win last year by Mancunian local heroes Elbow it was always going to be more obscure this year but you have to wonder what’s going on.  Personally I’m backing Bat For Lashes, she was robbed last time she was nominated and there’s not much  competition on the list.  Obviously that doesn’t take account of the unexplainable love the critics seem to have for Glasvegas or the weirdly acclaimed regurgitation of early 90’s Brit Rock that Kasabian have been churning out but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the MMP will be immune to hype this year.  Lungs by Florence and the Machine is a superb album but doesn’t have the depth of Two Suns.  Friendly Fires has some stand out tracks but I don’t think it stands out as well as a whole.  It’s good to see The Horrors and La Roux get their nominations, and as always there are a few names there (Led Bib, Speech Debelle and Sweet Billy Pilgrim) that I don’t recognise so I’ll be heading off to Myspace and Spotify to check them out.  There are some noticeable absences as well, where’s “Kingdom of Rust” (Doves) and the self titled album from Little Boots?  What do you think?  Who would you give the prize to?

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