Maybe I am still high on Mumford & Sons after seeing them in Little Rock in April, or maybe I have a soft spot for Johannesburg after traveling there in 2012, but when Mumford & Sons released their new mini-album Johannesburg this past Friday, I was excited! I found the vinyl release of the small (both in size and in number of tracks) album at Barnes and Noble, which also includes a code for digital download. Johannesburg is a five-track album collaboration with Senegalese singer Baaba Maal, Cape Town trio Beatenberg, and Swedish-Malawian duo The Very Best. (I have to admit, I had to read the front of the album a few times before I appreciated that those were all names of different musical groups.) As with Mumford’s Wilder Minds album, Johannesburg has a completely different sound for the band than any of their previous works. They combine rock and folk with African rhythms; and while the album is receiving mixed reviews, I think it is a fun musical experiment. Mumford is clearly committed to trying new things, and this album is definitely something new.
Tracks to check out: All of them! There are only 5! Although, “There Will Be Time”, which was the single released before the album, is still currently my favorite.
~Candace
anything goes pop review 