John Wizards
Studio album by
John Wizards
ReleasedSeptember 2, 2013 (2013-09-02)
Recorded2010-2013
GenreSouth African house, R&B, Shangaan electro, reggae, afropop, soukous
Length43:57
LabelPlanet Mu
ProducerJohn Withers

John Wizards is the first album by South African band John Wizards, released on 2 September 2013 on Planet Mu Records.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Guardian[1]
PopMatters[2]
NME[3]
Pitchfork Media[4]
Drowned in Sound[5]
Clash (magazine)[6]
The QuietusPositive [7]
Mojo (magazine)[8]
Resident Advisor[9]

The album was met with critical acclaim. Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, reported an average score of 81 based on 16 reviews, described as "universal acclaim".[10] The Guardian awarded the album four out of five stars, and placed the album at number 8 on its top 10 albums of 2013.[11] Pop Matters praised the album, saying, "[John Wizards] create multiple moods and textures that flow seamlessly into one another without a single dull or unnecessary moment anywhere on this record.[12]" NME gave the album a 7 out of 10, describing John Wizards as "the most globe-trotting band you'll hear this year.[13]" The album was awarded 5th best album of the year at the Worldwide Winners awards in 2014.[14] South Africa's PLATFORM magazine placed the album at number 33 on its best albums list, with writer Andy Petersen saying, "it feels vibrant and necessary in a way that not too many South African albums of late have managed to feel."[15]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by John Withers except where noted; all music is composed by John Withers except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."Tek Lek Schrempf"4:00
2."Lusaka by Night" (Vocals and lyrics by Emmanuel Nzaramba)2:58
3."Limpop" (Vocals and lyrics by Emmanuel Nzaramba)2:32
4."Muizenberg"3:26
5."iYongwe"2:49
6."Finally/Jet Up"2:38
7."Maria" (Vocals and lyrics by Emmanuel Nzaramba)3:46
8."Jabu Ley" (Vocals and lyrics by Emmanuel Nzaramba)2:47
9."Jamieo"2:10
10."Leuk"3:46
11."Durvs"1:34
12."I'm Still a Serious Guy"2:50
13."Hogsback" (Vocals and lyrics by Emmanuel Nzaramba)2:28
14."Lushoto"3:28
15."Friend" (Vocals and lyrics by Emmanuel Nzaramba)2:45

References

  1. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Benjamin (29 August 2013). "John Wizards - John Wizards review". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  2. ↑ Hedge Olson, Benjamin (29 October 2013). "John Wizards: John Wizards". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  3. ↑ Gardner, Noel (29 August 2013). "John Wizards - 'John Wizards'". Nme.com. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  4. ↑ Powell, Mike. "John Wizards - John Wizards". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  5. ↑ Bass, George. "John Wizards - John Wizards". Drownedinsound.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  6. ↑ Oliver, Matt. "John Wizards - John Wizards". Clashmusic.com. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  7. ↑ Foley, Ryan. "John Wizards - John Wizards". Thequietus.com. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  8. ↑ Mojo Magazine. Nov 2013. p. 90. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ↑ Ryce, Andrew. "John Wizards - John Wizards". Residentadvisor.net. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  10. ↑ Metacritic. "John Wizards - John Wizards". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  11. ↑ Llewellyn Smith, Caspar (11 December 2013). "The best albums of 2013: No 8 – John Wizards by John Wizards". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  12. ↑ Olson, Benjamin (29 October 2013). "John Wizards: John Wizards". PopMatters. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  13. ↑ Gardner, Noel (29 August 2013). "John Wizards - 'John Wizards'". NME. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  14. ↑ "WORLDWIDE AWARDS 2014 // THE WINNERS!". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  15. ↑ "50 Best Albums of 2013". PLATFORM. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
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