By
Chad Taylor
soundcheck@dmcityview.com
 Christopher
the Conquered
‘Christopher the Conquered & His Black
Gold Brass Band Decide… The Fate Of A Good Man’
Maximum Ames Records
I’m just going to get this out of the way up
front: “Fate of a Good Man” is a triumph. When
viewed as a body of work, Chris Ford’s first
two albums feel like growing pains; ambitious,
if sometimes awkward, and culminating in the
fully-formed visage of “Fate of a Good Man.”
The most noticeable aspect of the album is the
titular Brass Band. The horns give the album
a robust, jazzy feeling that is warm and easy
to listen to. More subtle — yet arguably more
important to the success of the album — is the
maturation of Ford’s songwriting. “The Fate
of a Good Man” features tracks that are efficient:
The lyrics lay the framework for each story,
then get out of the way and let the music do
its thing. The result might be one of the best
things you hear this year. CV
(Christopher the Conquered headlines the Grand
Stage at GDP. See SoundNotes for show details)
 Mumford’s
‘Triple Trinities’
Maximum Ames Records
The facet that Mumford’s are talented is not
a matter of debate. Whether that talent is being
put to the best of possible use, might be. But
no matter which side of that argument you fall
upon, the one thing that’s hard to disagree
with is that “Triple Trinities” is a conversation
piece. The collected songs use religion, not
so much a cohesive story arc, but as a central
theme. Within that loose framework of an idea
lay a collection of songs that are remarkably
diverse, while still sounding like everything
is in its proper place. The deftest trick here
is the ability to wade into the murky waters
of worship without sounding preachy, and it’s
a trick that Mumford’s deftly executes. Jumping
from big top revival, to channeling their inner
Squirrel Nut Zippers, Mumford’s have created
a work that’s thought-provoking, entertaining
and worthy of (artistic, if not theological)
debate. CV
(Mumford’s headline the State Stage at GDP)
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