| John Wizards | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | John Wizards |
| Cover: | jw_st_cover.jpg |
| Recorded: | 2010–2013 |
| Genre: | South African house, R&B, Shangaan electro, reggae, afropop, soukous |
| Length: | 43:57 |
| Label: | Planet Mu |
| Producer: | John Withers |
John Wizards is the first album by South African band John Wizards, released on 2 September 2013 on Planet Mu Records.
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".[1] The Guardian awarded the album four out of five stars, and placed the album at number 8 on its top 10 albums of 2013.[2] 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.[3] " NME gave the album a 7 out of 10, describing John Wizards as "the most globe-trotting band you'll hear this year.[4] " The album was awarded 5th best album of the year at the Worldwide Winners awards in 2014.[5] 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."[6]