Album Review: Loyle Carner, hopefully !

For any number of reasons, hope feels like gold dust in today’s world. But on Loyle Carner’s fourth album, there’s an abundance of the stuff.

Carner rose to fame following the release of 2017’s Yesterday’s Gone, and he has pretty much set the standard for British hip-hop ever since (2022’s Hugo was a stand-out). As a rapper, there is a scalpel-like certainty in the way Carner delivers his lyrics; whether he’s spitting bars about ADHD, racism, or the state of modern Britain, you find yourself hanging onto every turn of phrase.

On Hopefully!, Carner gives listeners a more intimate glimpse into his psyche than ever before. The cover of the album – featuring a scribbled-over picture of Carner’s head in the loving hand of a child – makes clear that this is an album about fatherhood, which seeps into every crevice of this sparse-yet-exquisite LP.

Opening song ‘Feel At Home’ begins with clear, deliberate piano chords that draw you into the room with Carner; from there, we receive lessons in wisdom (‘About Time’), positive masculinity (‘Horcrux’) and love (‘Hopefully’).

Few artists could rap about hope and contentment without it feeling trite, but here, Carner proves once again he’s one of the best in the game.

• Out now.