Mumford and sons babel album preview
Just announced: Mumford & Sons will make their Hollywood Bowl debut on Nov.
That same gritted-then-hollered intensity is poured into “Lover’s Eyes,” but what lifts that one to a fulfilling climax, as is the case so often on the Mumfords’ excursion through Babel, are robust horns packing mournful symphonic power. “Lover of the Light” churns from a plodding refrain to a positively ebullient climax, with Marcus Mumford wailing so mightily, there are times he leaves Dave Matthews looking like a mewling Muppet. Of those tunes that have become familiar to these dandies’ devoted adherents, all are more richly detailed in their studio versions. Why would anyone anticipate bold experiments?
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What else should Mumford 2.0 be but more of that same cheerily cathartic nü-folk-rock so many of us flocked to like finding some early Dylan begging to be spun in a jukebox full of Foster the People and Neon Trees? Those of us for whom M&S has never been a novelty, just a much-needed metal-paddle jolt of traditionalism to popular music’s heart … we may have realized going into this sophomore batch that at least a third of its dozen tracks were developed at shows dating back to their debut at the Troubadour almost three years ago. Right, and Green Day isn’t gonna make a country album anytime soon, either, no matter what substance Billie Joe is or is not abusing. 25) – More of the same, you might complain. Mumford & Sons, Babel (Glassnote, available Sept.The band produced a 12-song collection of what it does best, pulling at its listeners’ heart strings while performing irresistible gems of music. “Babel” has a sense of familiarity based largely on the instrumentals and Mumford’s voice, but the familiarity is no detriment. This album, as Mumford & Sons typically does, touches every emotion imaginable. Rounding out the album are three final tracks: “Broken Crown,” “Below My Feet” and “Not With Haste.” The first is a more dark, angry track, followed by “Below My Feet,” which offers some peace with the lyrics, “Let me learn from where I have been / Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn.” The sweet, and, as its name implies, slow final track closes the album nearly perfectly. The song transcends from simple and slow into an explosive, addictive track that is best played on repeat. If you listen to one track from “Babel,” make it this one. “Hopeless Wanderer” is an epic, classically Mumford song. It is intimate, as if Mumford is serenading a single listener. The just more than two-minute song focuses in on Mumford’s voice complemented by the strum of a guitar.
“Reminder” took me by surprise with its simplicity. “So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light,” sings Mumford on the beautiful “Ghosts That We Knew,” another one of “Babel’s” best and a must-listen.Ĭontinuing a streak of pure, honest tracks is “Lover of the Light,” the most beautiful song about love I’ve heard in a long time, followed by its counterpart “Lovers’ Eyes,” an equally beautiful song about love lost. “Holland Road” is one of the album’s best selections, an intensely desperate yet hopeful track, as Mumford sings, “And when I’ve hit the ground, neither lost nor found / If you believe in me I’ll still believe,” alongside a triumphant banjo and trumpet combination. The familiar pluck of the banjo and the sweet lyrics promised the band hadn’t lost its golden touch following its 2009 album “Sigh No More.” And the entire album lived up to the promise written within the single’s lyrics, “So I’ll be bold / As well as strong / And use my head alongside my heart.”Īggressive title track “Babel” opens the album and offers an upbeat intro, framing the album well with its lyrics, “Cause I know my weakness, know my voice / I’ll believe in grace and choice.” The second track “Whispers in the Dark” is a mess and just a much weaker track overall, as well as one that doesn’t even sound like the band, aside from Marcus Mumford’s distinct voice. Mumford & Sons’ single “I Will Wait” from its latest release “Babel” served as the perfect tease to the rest of the album, which released Tuesday. Album review: Mumford & Sons' golden touch not lost in 'Babel'