And even sometimes when the melodies themselves are good, they don't get good until the structure they've confined themselves in will allow it to be good. The rest of the time it's somewhat poetic yet predictable lyrics with themes we've already heard over & over on previous Mumford & Sons songs (HE SAYS THE WORD "HEART" IN 9/12 OF THE SONGS ON THE STANDARD EDITION!) combined with forgettable instrumentation & melodies that rarely even try to be catchy, but when they do it's not nearly enough to save it from mediocrity. There's only a few songs here where something actually sticks in your head or makes any real impact. Here, it's nearly all the same, but this time with a slight hint of overproduction that makes a lot of the instruments just bleed together a lot of the time. Even when they did this repetitive formula on Sigh No More, they at least either gave songs different emotional vibes or (to some extent) different musical styles, or at least made them catchy enough that I wouldn't mind. Instead we get a watered-down, boring, predictable & rehashed version of their debut without nearly as many memorable melodies & lyrics.
Or if they don't, they should at least keep their sound interesting. I want bands to experiment stylistically.
Spoiler alert: THEY DIDN'T! Now you'd think I, as a Mumford & Sons fan, would be thrilled that they'd release an album that sounds exactly like their debut. Despite this however, I detected some hints of redundancy structurally on it, which I hoped they'd fix on their sophomore album. One of my favorite popular albums of 2009. Despite this however, I detected some hints of I absolutely LOVE their debut Sigh No More. It's a tightened-up, polished version of 2009's Sigh No More, with even more sleek instrumentals and thoughtful lyrical prowess.I absolutely LOVE their debut Sigh No More. Fans who love these English troubadours will not be disappointed with the amount of heavy, fast-paced rumpus exuding from every pore. After listening to the first couple of tracks it's clear that under careful consideration and a highly assured approach to their songs, Mumford & Sons succeed in creating authentic, melodramatic music that speak to their religiously-rooted backgrounds and streamlined folk livelihood.Īs a follow-up to an outstanding first album, Babel aims to conquer your heart and soul by delivering a new maturity to their collective of work. Gone is the fast-and-loose frolic that we have grown accustomed to and in comes an enhanced, razor-sharp exuberance that we knew would eventually happen during three years time. After "Babel," we transition into "Whispers in the Dark," a track that commences with soothing guitar licks and heartfelt vocals until they build and build into an inevitable Mumford instrumental breakdown with strong chorus chants. Their impassioned, God-fearing lyrics extract fragments of their previous Sigh No More, but also administer a sigh - no, a breath - of fresh air.įrom the start of Babel, to which the first song was named after, Marcus Mumford bequeaths earnest proclamations that seep from his pungent finger-plucking to the enthusiasm echoing from his vocal chords. Yes, we hear a lot of banjos, acoustic guitars and harmonious instrumentals - but what we also have is a slew of influences from rustic indie rock all the way to gospel. Over the course of the last few months, we were graced with some premature releases such as the upbeat banjo-banger "I Will Wait," mellowed-out and melancholic "Broken Crown," folky foot-stomper "Whispers in the Dark," and anthemic "Below My Feet." With these releases, we were given a taste of what to expect from Babel, and while many artists abrogate from their formal aesthetic, these guys ratified their place in our hearts with logical acoustics and fervent musical consistency.Ĭlassifying this album under the folk genre brings forward the politics that come with it.
In order to prolong this hype and hunger, the gents toured the world, headlining their Gentlemen of the Road Stopover Music Festivals alongside many handpicked artists, and last weekend they performed two of their new songs on Saturday Night Live to an eager audience. Selling over 5 million copies of their debut album, these wrangling rock 'n rollers endured a heavy load of anticipation in the long wait for Babel to finally release to the masses. Mumford & Sons' sophomore album, Babel, seeded a lot of expectation on whether or not it would live up to the veneration of their first release, Sigh No More.
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