I’m not saying we 100% agree with the Mercury prize decision but that’s probably because we are big fans of the Jamie XX album.

But it’s not a total surprise. Because we are huge Benjamin Clementine fans and we think you should think about it too.

Here’s why ..

  Because this is an amazing performance especially considering it was the first time most people saw him -

 

Because he’s part of the interesting nu-MOR movement (and we don’t mean the Adele part, we mean the part that uses 70s songwriter influences in a fresh way) and as we’ve said before, we love that thing

 

Because he was actually discovered as a busker in the Paris metro, and that’s the dream and the dream is how it should be.

 

Because he sort of sounds like Nina Simone in a weird way, and she’s great and often overlooked (who would you rather have honestly – Nina or Billie Holiday – if you could only take one to your desert island?). But he would because she’s one of his heroines. And to bring (3) & (4) together here he is covering Ms Simone quite well on the Paris Metro

 Because this is a mental song title (Saint Clementine on Tea & Croissants) and probably (outside Kanye) one of the few mentions of Croissants in music

and lastly because his lyrics are better than you'd think - for example who wouldn't be charmed by "if chewing was to show you how much I cared / I'd probably be wearing dentures by now". Move over Morrissey!

Definitely worth giving a go. For Paris.

-TH