Loyle Carner – ‘Yesterday’ Review

By Neive McCarthy

Loyle Carner could release three minutes of him yodelling, and I, and a legion of others, would absolutely lap it up. Luckily for us, his latest release ‘Yesterday’, is far from a yodel – it’s an electrified version of the rapper, one that is completely primed to lift your mood from the very first beat drop.

A collaboration with Madlib, who Carner deems his “hero”, the producer’s signature slick sounds merge with Carner’s poetic flow gorgeously. Set against a bedding of brass and exceptionally groovy bass, ‘Yesterday’ feels distinctly fanfare-like. If you’re looking for something to blow off the cobwebs of lockdown and winter blues all in one brief track, look no further.

The artist has always been beloved for his profound, yet impassioned lyricism. ‘Yesterday’ is no exception. A meditation on identity and race, it is a thought-provoking and important contemplation of how little has changed over the past few years. Retaining the personal, intimate nature that fans have come to know and love, it simultaneously addresses a much wider issue, but in a nuanced, fresh way that is classic Loyle Carner.

‘Yesterday’ is reminiscent of the golden age of hip-hop, in the best way. His last release, the phenomenal Not Waving, But Drowning, will prove a hard act to follow, but if this track is indicative of what’s to come, then what comes next might just top it.

Image credit: https://www.clashmusic.com/news/loyle-carner-shares-madlib-produced-single-yesterday