Plenty of music magazines, journalists and fans have had a go at creating lists of the best ‘live albums’ of all time. There are no doubt daily conversations on the topic, whether it be online, at the pub, or while waiting for an elusive gig headliner to emerge. Whenever I’ve read, listened to, or been involved in such conversations, the focus tends to be on a certain type of album – rock albums from before the year 2000. Don’t get me wrong, some of the best live records certainly fit into that category, but I can’t help but feel there are some brilliant examples in recent history, which are slept on because they haven’t aged enough to be ‘classics’ yet.
The album I’ve selected this week is, I think, a strong candidate for this category – and it’s only just turned one year old.
hugo: reimagined (live from the Royal Albert Hall), by Loyle Carner, is a live performance recorded in October 2023, released in May 2024, and it’s my Album of the Week.
It’s nothing short of transformative. It elevates hugo, an already incredible studio album, to another level sonically, energetically and emotionally. Embodying Loyle Carner’s time spent intertwined with hugo from its writing, recording and producing, all the way to taking it on the road, it develops the ideas in a way reflective of how they naturally progressed in a live setting. The resultant hour of music is a record ‘reimagined’ with little bits of brilliance, which culminate to create an almost cathartic experience.
Every track has a twist, a unique take, or a complete reconceptualisation, ranging from subtle additional layers to complete overhauls. Normally, when I discuss a Waxing Lyrical Album of the Week, I avoid doing a track-by-track breakdown, instead choosing to focus on the other elements, such as the production or context in an artist’s discography. That would probably be the case if I was exploring the studio-recorded Hugo (don’t get me wrong, there would be plenty to discuss). However, what I think what makes this album so special, and truly worthy of being called an ‘album’ (as opposed to just a live recording), is its track list, that one special hour it was recorded in, and the musicians and listeners together in the Royal Albert Hall on October 6th, 2023.
The stringed introduction to Hate is an immediate grab, and sets up the performance picturesquely, mirroring the grandiosity of the setting being played in. Percussion by Ernesto Marchiales at the start of Georgetown embellishes the words of John Agard excellently, and bassist Marla Kether jazzes things up too, with groovy syncopated departures from the ‘written’ bassline.
An interluded version of Polyfilla is acapella, acting as a poetic bridge into Homerton – a track which highlights Finn Carter’s soulful, jazzy keys playing, including a perfectly measured solo.
Athian Akec’s powerful speech he delivered in the House of Commons, featured on Blood on my Nikes, is partially rewritten and performed live, to reflect on modern issues, whilst still highlighting the relevance of those existing 7 years prior.
Nobody Knows (Ladas Road), starts and ends with a more exposed piano backing, and Jordan Rakei is enlisted to take the vocal feature on Loose Ends.
Absolutely blistering drumming from Richard Spaven on tracks like A Lasting Place creates possibly the most impressive of the album’s tracks. However, that title is challenged by the following Speed of Plight, with its rocking guitar and blistering instrumentation.
Loyle Carner tells the story of hugo and ‘breaking the cycle’, before we move into the almost eponymous HGU – another brilliant demonstration of the LC band, with rhythms and textured enriching the track’s sonic and emotional layers.
Final track Ottolenghi is an undoubtedly a 21st century classic and, with Jordan Rakei back on stage again, solidifies this set as an all-time high for Loyle Carner.
Everything on the album somehow feels a bit fuller, a bit bigger, and just a bit more exciting. I think it’s partly down to a crowd absolutely on the same page throughout, but mostly the support of Loyle’s ten-piece band. They jazz, funk and mix it up, squeezing everything from every song to transforms this performance into a live set for the ages.
Loyle Carner is no doubt one of the best UK rappers to grace the modern scene; he’s also one of the most consistently breathtaking, and I can’t see him ever releasing anything which misses the mark. hugo: reimagined proves that this assured greatness is not limited to the studio. In a live setting, Loyle Carner is still a master of his craft, and an incredible performer.
Waxing Lyrical 