Stephen Mugford Releases A Beautifully Performed EP
The latest EP release from Stephen Mugford is marked by a warm and welcoming energy, largely due to its live nature, which is completely infectious from the very beginning.
Unplugged is a release that shines with artist presence and has a wonderful way of putting you right there in the moment with the performances and songs themselves.
Right from the start, the record introduces you to some of the soundscape with "Back Side of The Moon", which takes elements of acoustic folk, but brings it into a much more jazz-oriented platform. The rhythms, time signatures, and flow all scream out with heavy-handed jazz influence, and it has such a danceable approach to it that it's nearly impossible to turn away from.
The track is riddled with piano, acoustic guitar, and again, this sort of vivacious vocal approach that has a little bit of swagger to it, and all of this is addictive.
Stephen has an awesome vibrato to his voice, and this lets it feel almost like an instrument itself at times. I enjoyed this aspect of his vocal performance a lot, and it stays strong throughout the record's course.
There are other elements across the span of the EP that showcase other genres and influences as well.
The second track, "Runnin'", feels like it was influenced by rock, along with those subtle folk elements as well.
This track is amazing cuz he really ends up belting out, and it shows that he has a powerful voice when he wants to. He really projects and puts himself out there with such a boisterous and robust tone when he wants to.
Other times, he may sing with more subtlety and smoothness, but either way, you're getting something that has a bit of a colorful flair.
Again, the jazz element is very strong throughout this record. It's not just a jazz record; it has rock and folk, singer-songwriter, and more, all shining through at different parts of the release.
By the time you get to the third track, you begin to expect the unexpected.
"Wild Things" is an absolutely wonderful track and not just because it's live. The performance says a lot for the artist because he's really able to pull off such perfection in a live setting, which is not something you come across super often.
It's really more the storytelling on songs like this. This song, in particular, is way more folk and singer-songwriter oriented. There's not too much jazz going on here, so you can start to get a grasp of some of the other influences that he pulls from.
Again, those lyrics are really wonderfully put together. He has an articulate approach to lyrics, storytelling, and being descriptive when he wants to, and all of this pulls you into the song in different ways.
From these three songs alone, I can feel and hear tons of amazing classic influences from different places because he utilizes all of that in his songwriting.
This is also a record that shows a real love for his craft.
He loves performing, and nothing really shows you that better than this record does.
The final track on the record is called "Easy To Love", and this one flies right back into full-blown jazz with such danceable flares and those vibrant approaches. I absolutely loved soaking this one in because it was so much fun.
You can actually hear how much fun Stephen himself is having on the track.
Listening to records like this makes you want to go see it performed yourself.
Again, a lot of these songs put you there in the moment with them, so it is almost like seeing a live performance, but listening to this record makes you want to go find out where he's playing next and go check it out.
Records like that don't come across often, so when they do, it's quite refreshing.
This whole thing was an outstanding blend of wonderful energy, jazz approaches, folk influences, and performances that simply showcase a love for those genres and a real passion for performing.
You can't ask for much more, really.
What's crazy is that Stephen was more of a corporate guy and only left that world in 2019 to pursue music in a more full-time fashion. The first full album he released was just last year, in 2024
Obviously, you can tell he's been at it for longer than that, but decided to take it on full-time just last year.
Stories like this one bring a smile to my face.
This is definitely an excellent release, and you should certainly check it out as soon as you can, and don't skip around. Listen to the whole thing through. It's only 15 minutes long, and you certainly have the time.
You will appreciate the sort of fresh and breezy soundscapes that he's delivering in these performances.
