Loyle Carner is one of the UK’s most beloved and creative artists, and with the release of his fourth studio album, hopefully !, it is sure to remain a true statement. On Friday, fans get to dive into his new project, the first since hugo in October 2022. In his previous work, Loyle’s lyrical content speaks to themes of mental health, family life, his past, and touches on identity, too. His performance and delivery style are something we don’t often hear in the mainstream, as they somewhat lend themselves to spoken word poetry. However, with his genius words of previous work, like Damselfly and Ottolenghi, it wouldn’t be inaccurate to describe him as such: a poet.
The record opens with feel at home, which immediately makes me believe I am going to rate this album highly. There is a presence of many instruments almost instantly, inviting and enticing to the ears and musical mind with every second that passes. We begin with what sounds like a palm-muted guitar, which is soon accompanied by a live recording of potentially a marimba, but more likely a xylophone. With faint speaking in the background, it provides a raw feeling and is a lovely opening to the song. The mood becomes established fast as spacey, reverbed piano chords fade in; it almost soothes you, but holds you at the edge of your seat as a diminished chord suggests that the song may not be what the first 20 seconds seem to convey. The lyrics have themes of retrospective thoughts on Loyle’s past. One line in the verse particularly sticks out. “We keep receipts to keep attachments”. Loyle seems to be reflecting on a person in his life that he longs to feel connected with, despite their lack of presence in his life at this stage. As we lead to the chorus, there is a beautiful connection between his words and the instrumentation, almost as if his words trigger the music to change. “Can’t figure out how to take it slow” leads us into the chorus, where the song shifts; fast-paced drums, very similar to that of the DnB sub-genre ‘Jungle,’ side with a simplistic vocal where Loyle tells the subject they ‘feel like home’. Loyle repeats the line “you feel like home” as the song reaches a dreamy, satisfying conclusion to the opening of the album.
As we continue, in my mind takes up an entirely new sound. An indie-rock guitar is panned to either ear, with the later addition of drum fills that feel very close to those of jazz music. This perfectly demonstrates his versatility early on. Further evident in his harmonic chorus vocals, the idea of attachment to his past lover becomes clear as he talks about painting a picture as well as asking, “what language do they speak in your dreams?” all I need follows a similar route, as it opens with a simple guitar chord progression as Loyle’s rhymes compliment beautifully. Slowly, hi-hats fade into the mix as we enter a chorus structure similar to the opener; the song deepens. With a melodic bass filling the low end, a piano melody fills the high end. As he pleads, “please don’t delete your history,” all the mix drops out for a moment, leaving just the vocals; a poignant moment in the piece. Leading itself to the indie rock side of things, this production choice makes the drums hit harder and almost feels like a beat drop of sorts. We end the track with a guitar and vocal pairing in a much more singing style of vocals, differing from Loyle’s voice up to this stage.
lyin features an acoustic guitar with vocals and a melody that carries the song throughout. As expected, the British rap vocalist Carner is known for adding to the melody of the guitar, while blessing us with some singing in the chorus, too. It sounds like there are some female voices in there, too, as the higher octave is present in several choruses. The lyrics speak on Loyle’s journey as a man, telling us he was patient and the ways he was “trained to kill” from a young age, potentially speaking on his upbringing. It’s a definite contrast in theme here, but it presents well and tells an uplifting story of his growth as a man. This concept of a journey is used in the following track with similar productive aspects. Loyle tells us “my world is changing”, reminding us that life goes on no matter what. Regardless of your time to go, as the track is appropriately named, the world moves on, and you have to progress too, despite the challenges you may face.
The jazzy feel returns with horcrux, which utilises fast-paced drums and piano chords to carry the vibe of the song and is joined by a modulated synth and group vocals. It almost reaches a soul song in terms of production. Speaking of soul, I believe Loyle is explaining the parts of his soul he hides to feel safer. The lyric “I owl at the moon, cuz’ I live through you” leads me to believe he holds such attachment to the person he is talking about, that he would give part of his soul to save his conscience and be closer to this person regardless of the reason they may no longer be involved. It ends with the ringtone of a FaceTime call, which distorts after ringing; to me, this is an audible version of the call ‘failing’ alongside his attempt to re-connect with the lover he claims to have been living through, similar to werewolves of pop-culture, where they take over a human’s body.
Strangers takes us on a musical journey. Loyle both raps and sings over a guitar with occasional dreamy pads. It seems this song was written at a time when his lover was still around. The lyrics speak of the impossible situation of being attached to someone or something that may not be the best for you. He briefly states they meet once a week, and almost contradicts himself, saying “let us escape you” but also “hope they don’t change you”. Loyle speaks of this person fondly, with no bad blood; saying he was “turned to days they felt like strangers” makes me feel as though there was no choice but to remove this person from his life. This has a very calm production and is irresistibly catchy.
The title track, hopefully, follows, a song featuring Benjamin Zephaniah, who sadly passed away in December 2023. He and Loyle have spoken in the past about his work, and it’s a nice surprise to hear his inclusion. A small voicenote of the late writer speaking on the riots of the youth can be heard; he says he uses his pen to bring out his hunger, through his poetry, the same hunger that causes ‘the riots of youths’ in this country. Loyle’s part in the song is similar to the earlier rap sections, with similar words to the previous piece about “the city burning”. However, it’s the speaking at the end that catches me; a powerful message that encourages people to put their time and energy into a passion instead of causing conflict and dysfunction in society. I believe the title is an example of his hope for how things may improve in society, and he believes things can “hopefully” get better.
This deep meaning continues to the next offering, where Carner speaks on the purpose he feels. His passion is 100% audible in his words, with mentions of his childhood and the difference in your view on life from youth to adulthood. The feature of the American artist Navy Blue goes deeper into this theme, and he speaks of “atonement”, once again focusing on the idea of society atoning for the wrong that is present in many aspects. You can feel the sincerity within their words and the delivery over a soft piano ballad. Loyle assures us, “there’s purpose in my existence”, explaining he understands his role and that he wants to use his influence to be a source of light and hope in an otherwise shady world.
Don’t fix it is a song about self-awareness, in my mind, with Carner’s lines including “don’t fix it for me, watch it broken with me.” I think he is accepting the broken aspects of his past and possibly his present as well. It’s a very positive song where I feel he is encouraging others to acknowledge the parts of their lives that could be seen as bad, in an attempt to use that as a way to view the good aspects of life. The vocals of Nick Hakim feature within the chorus, where he is subtly supported by Carner in what feels like R&B. It’s a message many could sympathise with and take into their thoughts.
By contrast, the closing song about time explores those positive things in his life. With mentions of family and the love he feels, he is appreciating the journey he has been through, saying he would do it again if he had the chance; he speaks on the critics he has faced and the little control he allows them to take.“they see my son needs a father, not a rapper” is a moving lyric, as Loyle’s son can be heard in the background. He furthers the message about the mistakes being good, saying he wouldn’t want to right his wrongs, as it is the only way he can write his music. While he is finding the good in his bad decisions, he is by no means saying that those things don’t need to change. “it’s about time I learnt some patience, just to give it to him;” He believes he needs to be a better person to benefit not only himself but to make sure his son can have a good upbringing and father in his life. The song and record end with some acoustic guitar chords, with nothing but dialogue between Loyle and his son; “do you want to go home?” he asks. To me, that strikes as he has finished his message to the world, and now will go and be a father to his son in the best way he can.
This album is beautiful. It included many of the expected themes, with lyrics about family, his past, but an overarching theme of self-reflection, hope and views on society. It’s a relevant message given the current troubles in our society, beautifully written and produced with a range of styles used, and an incredible level of instrumental and lyrical skill on display. You can feel the love from his tracks, and I cannot wait to see the reaction of his fans to this heartfelt body of material.
Words: Dylan Walford
