Top 10 Albums of 2011: #6

A Mercury Music Prize nominee and yet another Londoner comes in at number 6. Though while a Londoner Ghostpoet is actually a fan of Liverpool FC, something he demonstrated at the Liverpool Music Week closing party by entering the stage with an LFC scarf, the poor chap didn’t count on the partisan nature of the LFC/Everton divide and a chorus of boo’s comically rained down upon him. Yet, he did produce a standout album hence his inclusion here.

6. Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam



If ever there was an aptly named artist then it’s Ghostpoet. The quirkily named Peanut Butter Blue and Melancholy Jam brings together urban poetry and haunting electronic production not to dissimilar to that of Burial at times. Spoken rather than rapped the London voice of Ghostpoet narrates through a story of struggles in a 21st century city, much like Joshua Idehen does on the earlier mentioned Routes. Despite the chapters which deal with struggles with alcohol and heartbreak the album has a resistant element of embracing the struggles, as depicted in the uplifting Survive It. The live show is well worth a look, having caught Ghostpoet twice this year I was not left disappointed especially at The Big Chill where to quote the man himself “I must admit it got quite wild”.