The latest album from U.K. folk phenoms Mumford & Sons is an inspired collaboration with touring partners in South Africa.
The mini album, Johannesburg, was recorded in a two-day super session in that city between the Mumfords, Senegalese singer/guitarist Baaba Maal, South African pop group The Very Best, and London-based hip hop/jazz band Beatenberg.
The musical sharing of sounds that is Johannesburg matches the earthy, archaic folk rhythm of Mumford & Sons with the bright guitar figures of the Afro-pop sound. The result is a musical goldmine that sounds so comfortable and logical that it’s a wonder that it has never occurred before.
Wona opens with a guitar phrase that could make Paul Simon raise an eyebrow, although Johannesburg isn’t a Graceland-style field recording. This album has a relaxed, band friendly ensemble atmosphere that was captured quickly in a studio and the energy level is high.
Mumford & Sons’ character and those of their collaborators intersect into a joyous sound – the feeling in the studio must have been electric.
The Mumfords are always strong on epic arcing choruses and they don’t disappoint here. As the context is slightly shifted, the high points take longer to arrive at. Along the way the interplay with Maal and the musicians of Beatenburg and The Very Best results in new sounds of discovery.
Ngamila has an identifiable Mumford and Sons’ guitar and chorus that’s expanded by a beefed up rhythm section and wider vocal range. This takes the bounds of Mumford & Sons acoustic folk rock to cinematic levels with all the passion intact.
– Dean Gordon-Smith reviews the latest music every Friday.
