As the title of his new album suggests, Metronomy’s Joe Mount found an unexpected sense of connection to the rest of the planet in the midst of the pandemic. The multi-instrumentalist returns on Friday with his seventh album of retro pop gems, Small World. It reflects a surprisingly enriching couple of years, holed up with his family and young children in the English countryside. “Growing up, you hear people talking about the population of the world being too big and getting ever bigger. Suddenly the numbers felt more manageable. I felt there was a community suddenly,” Mount told AFP. “Everyone was in the same place, everyone experiencing the same thing,” he said. It was also a chance to take a breather after 20 years of writing and touring. “The good thing about being at home for the pandemic was realising you don’t need to consume stuff. I was quite happy just being at home. “I’ve experienced time in a very different way these past two years. How hours make days and days make weeks – I feel like I’ve lived every minute.” ‘A bit strange’ Mount has always been comfortable working alone. From his early days writing music in his Devon bedroom, the award-winning musician...