Loyle Carner - "hopefully !" (2025)

Loyle Carner's third record, 2022's Hugo, stuck with me a lot more than I thought it was going to. That album pushed Loyle into a more upfront and commanding space, with more intense instrumentals and tighter, more focused writing and theming. It makes sense, with the album focusing on the meaty topics of Loyle's mixed race heritage and Absent father. Hopefully ! flips the coin right over, mainly revolving around Loyle becoming a father, and the struggles and upsides that parenthood brings. As such, this is Carner's most settled and content release so far, and sonically the most low-key his music has ever been.

I enjoyed the singles as they rolled out, and left me intrigued as to the direction as a whole. They were all very low-key, somewhat trip hop inflected tunes with a moody and smoky atmosphere. It left me wondering whether there was going to be anything even akin to the loose and jazzy highlights of the first two records, let alone the bombastic soul-inspired instrumentals of Hugo. Lead single all i need is about uptempo as it gets, with it's scratchy breakbeat, and multitracked and reverb laden synths and vocals. in my mind, which was released as the b-side and precedes all i need on the album, is a much more dreamy and hypnotic track fitting for a song about being stuck in your own head. The other singles continue down this path. The closer, about time similarly features a very gentle hi-hat rhythm, subtle twinkling keys and reverb heavy acoustic guitar. It's one of the more lyrically upfront tracks on the record, with Loyle detailing the lessons he's learned balancing a music career and fatherhood and how he's going to pass that on to his children. It's a very wholesome way to end the record.

The rest of the record follows in this suit. The gentle, formless, somewhat ambient intro to the opener feel like home teases in the record before a skittering beat pulls the song (and thus the album) into life. However it feels like its over before it really gets going. Similarly, strangers and don't fix it don't really come together into anything much of anything. horcrux brings back some of the jazz rap vibes with it's syncopated drum beat and loose piano chords. The tempo and intensity of the song slowly progresses into one of the more attention grabbing songs on the record. The very raw and intimate neo-soul vibes of purpose give of massive To Pimp a Butterfly vibes, which I will always be a massive sucker for - and so is an album highlight for me

I think hopefully !'s biggest problem is that that while all these songs are perfectly up to Loyle's usual standard when taken individually, they don't really come together into anything more impactful or notable. I have been listening back through the rest of Loyle's discography while writing this and as chill as they can be, they just had a bit more oomph and drive to them. hopefully ! feels a bit indulgent in that regard, and reminds me a bit of the rough around the edges releases that many artists released around lockdown that lacked the polish or fanfare of a major new LP. It is still perfectly enjoyable while it is on, and much like the rest of his records, works perfectly as late night wind-down music to chill out to. Check it out if you're a fan of Loyle or chill hip hop in general, but don't expect it to move the needle either way.

Top Tracks: in my mind, all i need, horcrux, purpose, about time

6/10