This couldn’t be more perfectly timed, bringing with it some much needed sunshine and sparkle to an otherwise dreary October. Transformuration wouldn’t actually sound out of place soundtracking some art gallery somewhere, or a relaxed Sunday drive through the countryside. In fact, it would sound pretty good in the background to almost anything. Well, anything that doesn’t require too much of your attention and focus, otherwise you’ll certainly miss the brilliance and sheer beauty of it all. And it really is beautiful. I admit to not being too familiar with Glasgow’s Jo Mango‘s other work, but I think I might be persuaded to hole-up for a few days and immerse myself in it. If this re-imagining of her second album, Murmuration, is anything to go by, then those few days will be some of the most blissful ever lived, by anyone.
There’s quite a collection of folk, from around the world – America, Australia and various British talents – who, by the sounds of things are just as talented as Mango herself. At a first glance, you many be forgiven for thinking that Transformuration is merely an album where they get to show off and Mango gets to save time writing a tonne of new material. In reality, it is giving a whole new and very much intriguing spin on the original album, and seems to emphasise Jo Mango’s sugary-sweet and often haunting vocal talents.
In all honesty, it’s not that easy to pick out one remix from the next, although the final three tracks (‘The Freedom Of Seamonsters’, ‘Moth and Moon’, and ‘Cordelia’, respectively) certainly do grab your attention. Perhaps this highlights my own inability and the fact that I have almost no idea about things such as this (probably true, I’ll be honest about that, too) but perhaps it also shows just how well they all fit together. If it was too noticeable and obvious, I doubt it would have the same impact. All in all, Transformuration is an album to treasure and may well give Jo Mango the praise she obviously and rightly deserves.
Release date: 13th October 2014
[Rating:4]
