Mumford & Sons have become one ofthe beleaguered music industry's good news stories. The sale of five millioncopies of their debut album, ‘Sigh No More’ has seen the band become theUK's must-have musical export (second only to a certain Miss Adele). Across thepond, this wholesome foursome have been embraced by America in a very bear-huglike fashion, which has resulted in two Grammy nominations.
This has resulted in their follow-up album bearinga massive amount of expectation, which is highlighted by the band’s consistency.Babel is the logical and effective successor to ‘Sigh No More’, withan emotive, yet whimsical clutch of songs.
‘Babel’ feels shinier and brighter than theirdebut album, with songs that lean toward something out of a county carnival - Acounty carnival of the highest order at that. The album’s debut single, ‘I WillWait’, as well as its successor, ‘Lover of the Light’ highlight the fact thatthis band is able to do old-school rock with humbly impressive acoustictools.
Right from the opening song, the disc isreminiscent of a concert being performed live in your living room, or study, orwherever else suits your fancy. ‘Whispers in the Dark’ marks a trace of(albeit faint) electric guitar. ‘I Will Wait’ is possibly the best song on thealbum. Even the greatest of doubters will struggle to not bow to thecraftsmanship behind this single. From rich harmony transcending anything thatthe band has done before, to eccentric strumming patterns that soothe the senses;this song is arguably their greatest work ever.
‘Holland Road’ and ‘Ghosts That We Knew’are a walk down the usual Mumford path with their trademark of pensive, and potentiallysad tunes. But within minutes, ‘Lover of the Light’ comes on. Theexceptionally written song is a perfect concert opener (which explains why the bandhas been opening all their tours with it). While this summarises merely half ofthe albums true worth, the new Mumford & Sons production needs to beexperienced to be understood.
Sticking to their rustic indie style ingeneral, massive amounts of emotion are conveyed through ‘rapid strumming’ and‘fast fiddling’. It is, in short, the equivalent of Britain conveying to theUnited States, that bluegrass is not just about hillbillies with banjo’sanymore.
