Track of the Week: Georgetown

Vitalised by the dusty ambience of Madlib’s production and the resonant poignancy of playwright/poet John Agard, Loyle Carner’s artistry proceeds in its metamorphism with the powerful, profound and penetrating Georgetown.

I’ve been a Carner connoisseur since hearing his cheeky confession “I kinda miss my student loan” on the effortlessly enjoyable Ain’t Nothing Changed. His debut Yesterday’s Gone was a rejuvenating moment for UK alternative rap, with Carner’s charismatic, compelling yet commercial sound a hit amongst rap, jazz and indie fans alike. This staggering potential took a hit with Not Waving, But Drowning, a sophomore project that showed signs of brilliance but generally fell short of the gusto that the debut exhibited. After a quiet couple of years, bar the celebratory Madlib-produced Yesterday, Loyle finally returned with Hate, a track that saw him delve into themes of race, abuse and inequality in a more macabre manner than ever before. It was clear that, in the years since NWBD, Loyle’s personal and artistic journey had been a windy and revolutionary road. Then came Georgetown.  

The track opens and closes with samples of Half-caste the affecting, rousing and radical poem by Afro-Guyanese legend John Agard. It’s remarkably impactful and a bold move from Carner. Madlib’s haunting yet groove-laden beat soon enters the fray, with a pitched organ and smooth bass line making up most of the sparse sonic palette. Loyle’s vocal sits quietly majestic in the mix, not wasting time with a hook, instead offering an incomprehensibly perceptive soliloquy about his identity that builds to a potent climax. It’s goosebumps down your spine stuff; rich, righteous and remarkably astute. 

Speaking on the track, Loyle said: 

“John Agard’s poem Half-caste had a heavy impact on me. To see someone who was older, that looked like me, sharing a reflection of a similar lived experience made me feel comfortable/proud to not fit in. It kinda gave me the permission to finally write explicitly about being mixed. There’s so much beauty in the gaps in-between, and in some ways this song touches on that. For me, it’s about finding this inner confidence through understanding of self, and spending time back home. It is a representation of finally feeling like one whole person instead of two halves. Also another piece of the MADloyle puzzle. More on the hard drive.”