Last year, Loyle Carner released his critically acclaimed album, Hugo, his critically acclaimed third album that was deservedly nominated for the Mercury Prize. Written during the pandemic, it was released three years after his second album, Not Waving, But Drowning, and dealt with a lot of the isolation he felt during that period.
During that period of reflection, he also found inspiration for some of the tracks in his struggles with ADHD and dyslexia, as well as his relationship with his estranged father. Then, in October last year, Carner took the album to the Royal Albert Hall for a stunning live performance featuring guest musicians and performers, including Sampha, Jordan Rakei, JNR Williams, John Agard, Wesley Joseph, and Athian Akec.
That performance was thankfully captured on film. Directed by Milo Blake and shot by Greg Hackett, Hugo: Reimagined Live From The Albert Hall captures that unique experience with bonus behind-the-scenes footage for those of us who weren’t lucky enough to be there on the night.
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On the inception of the live album, Carner shares: “Whilst touring ‘Hugo’ for the last couple years, I noticed that the music began to change as the shows went on. I wanted to catch a snapshot of their evolution and document how alive and fluid the things we make are. A special way to spend my birthday.”
Watch the performance at the top or listen to it via Spotify below.
