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Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More
Mumford and Sons’ new album, Wilder Mind, marked their transition into a more mainstream sound that left some fans disappointed with the departure from the style that they know and love. If you, too, listened to Wilder Mind and it left you with a hunger for banjos and mandolins, I would suggest taking it back to 2009 and taking a listen to their debut album Sigh No More.
While most people will know this album from its two singles “The Cave” and “Little Lion Man,” which helped the band gain their unfortunate reputation for making songs that all sound the same, this is actually far from the case on Sigh No More. The album does contain a number of high-energy, fast-paced songs, but it also contains soft, slow ballads and a number of songs in between, proving that Mumford is capable of doing much more than people think, and doing it extremely well.
“Timshel” is probably my highlight from this album, because of its chilling atmosphere, intricate guitar and perfect harmonies. “Dust Bowl Dance” is another standout because of the band’s signature amped up energy, but also because of its distinctive swing style and slower tempo. In addition, while many may have gotten tired of “The Cave” and “Little Lion Man,” let’s not forget that they got so much radio play for a reason; they are great songs, and if you forgot about them after all this time, I’d recommend going back and giving them another listen.
Mister Modo - “Not Afraid”
Mister Modo is a French hip-hop producer who is pretty unknown as evidenced by the fact that I could not find even a Wikipedia article to get any background information on him—but that doesn’t mean he’s not worth checking out! “Not Afraid” is an incredibly catchy song with a simple and understated yet catchy bassline and creative use of soul samples. While the song does not have lyrics, it goes through a lot of changes from beginning to end and this, along with the sampling, helps to keep it varied and interesting.
James Blake - “Lindisfarne I” and “Lindisfarne II”
This two-song sequence by James Blake, meant to be played back to back, is an emotional journey from beginning to end. The first song is a strikingly beautiful a capella, using synthesizers and effects to create a multiple part harmony using only Blake’s voice. It is reminiscent of Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek,” though more emotionally driven. At the end of the song, it becomes more multilayered, with more complex harmonies and a couple of ambient sounds added to the background which are subtle but help create the atmosphere of the song a lot.
The second song manages to achieve a very different atmosphere than the first while sharing some of the same fundamental elements. It builds off of the lyrical and melodic ideas from the first but with a fuller arrangement containing guitar and drums. Neither song feels complete without the other to complement it, and they both add something essential to the experience. I would recommend these songs to anybody as something worth experiencing.