In a bandwagon-jumping spirit, Guardian/music's critical panel scours the net for this week's Mercury prize soundalikes and future nominees
Human Highway – Sleep Talking
(from Quick Before It Melts)
Mournful but majestic acoustic meanderings? A lyrical reliance on the lovelorn hopelessness of the workingman's blues? It can only be this year's winners, Elbow!
VV Brown – Crying Blood
(from Popjustice)
If you're looking for a more accessible Adele (yes, that's right, more accessible) VV's your girl. Although even Adele would draw the line at filleting the Monster Mash for a tune, wouldn't she?
Banjo or Freakout – Archangel (Burial cover)
(from Pinglewood)
The clue's in the title there. And a good thing too – there's banjo and a freakout but not a whisper of a 2-step beat or sped-up soul vocal.
Kanye West – Love Lockdown (live at the MTV VMAs)
(from Themixtapepodcast)
Wake up Mr West! Kanye follows his protege, Estelle, down the wannabe-a-propah-singer route. Proof that the pair's ear for a tune hasn't helped their ability to stay in it.
Rolo Tomassi – Beatrotter
(from MySpace)
All of them. Blown apart, mashed together, turned up and played backwards. Debut album Hysterics is out on September 22. It will not win next year's Mercury.
