This Mumford and Son has gone it alone - a wise decision. ‘Cannibal’ steals the show for me - addressing Mumford’s experience of sexual abuse as a child for the first time publicly, in a raw, cathartic and poetic way that struck me to my core. ‘Grace’, is a rather jolting juxtaposition, recounting the moment he told his mother in an uplifting anthem bursting with the optimism of healing. Elsewhere, through the stripped back strings of ‘Prior Warning’ and melodic light and shade of ‘Better Off High’, we learn of his struggles with self medication. (self-titled) translates pain into a beautiful musical expression, and it’s a pleasure to listen. LT

Out now on Island