DIGIPAK ANALYSIS

MUMFORD AND SONS

COVERMumford and Sons are an Indie Folk/ Rock band.

In this this digipak cover the band are stood in a shop window. It is a longshot at eye level. The edges of the others shops encroach into the frame, as does the road and this creates a natural border. The shop they are in is completely white and the pavement in front is pale. White can connote innocence but I believe in this example it is more to portray the purity of the band and their music- it is natural and raw (using only physical instruments and no electronic sounds).

The serif font has an air of class. It’s vintage look gained from the posh curves and flicks feels traditional and complies with the expectations of Folk music.

The shop window implements the notion of looking, with the band on the inside they are looking out to the world. On the other hand it could suggest that they are objects, there to be observed and judged by shoppers/ consumers- reflecting the ruthless nature of contemporary consumerism. The barrier of the window between the camera and the band limits the connection the audience can make to the band. It could be making a comment on how modern artists separate themselves from the fans that allowed them to be where they are.

They are stood with the instruments- these props are important to conveying the authenticity of the band and their ability to play, emphasising their talent and also conforming to the conventions of Indie and Folk music.

INSIDEInside this digipak is a simple and plain theme, fitting with the white colour of the shop from the cover (this creates a consistent theme throughout the digipak and helps it to blend/ flow. The first slide is blank with a small design placed in the centre. It looks like something from the renaissance with its decorative style. It infers more things about the band’s perhaps more upper class audience which breaks the working class connotations of the Indie and Folk genres they belong to.

The middle slide features a similar building to the one on the cover. It is probable this is the same one but around the back judging by the colours of the sandwiching houses. Here, each of the four members occupy their own windows. The positions bring a neat, appealing symmetry to the picture, splitting it into quarters. It shows each member is equal and just as important as the other.

DISCThe disc which sits on a blank white background is mainly black meaning it completely contrasts and stands out. Consequently the disc seems to be it’s own individual product- sometimes the discs in digipaks are made to blend with the rest, being the same colour and having artwork/ images that span across the background slide onto the disc. While it does stand out it, doesn’t look out of place and certainly isn’t loud. The black and gold colour scheme retains the class of the product as a whole.

The text on the disc is in the same font as the front and has the band name and album title, adhering to the theme. Both are in large print to make it easily visible as they are the important details of the CD. “Mumford & Sons” is slightly bigger and underlined compared to album name showing they are important and the main thing we need to be aware of. The small design on it is also similar to that on the opposing third. Underneath are the labels/ production companies giving the rightful credit but these are only small to keep the minimalist style and not take anything away from the overall impression. Around the edge is the small print- its main purpose is of course for legal reasons but from afar where the text is difficult to interpret it looks instead like a gold border.

BACKThe rear, unsurprisingly, follows the theme. The image that fills the side is another window belonging to a chalk white house. This is different to the other two in that it’s a closer shot and doesn’t have any people in it. The song titles are written in the familiar serif font and are centred to the middle, reading across (rather than listed on a separate line each and aligned to the left like many are).

The barcode is in the top corner- it is out of the way because it adds nothing to the promotion of the product but is essential to actually sell the product.

The inclusion of windows here and on the rest of the digipak refer to the notion of looking. This product has little writing and is more based on imagery.

This picture also includes the title bars which have identical contents: serial number, band and album name and some smaller symbols. However it has been flipped so the title bar at the front side (where the case opens) reads top to bottom and the back vice versa.