English band Mumford & Sons churn out another flawless record with their latest release “Babel.” Their sophomore album only reestablishes the splendor of their talent seen on 2009s“Sigh No More” and does not leave fans disappointed.
Established in 2007, the outrageously multi-talented members of the band came together under the name of Mumford & Sons — named after their most public figure, Marcus Mumford. Consisting of Mumford, “Country” Winston Marshall, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane, the band flourished during the rise of the “West London folk scene,” which became a title that pigeonholed them to that loosely defined “genre.”
Mumford & Sons built a fledgling following through live performances and also garnered the attention of Louis Bloom from Island Records, the man who would eventually become their A&R liason between the band and record label. The band toured extensively in 2008, playing at the Glastonbury festival and touring with Laura Marling, whose static stage persona made Mumford & Sons a much more interesting musical connection.
The band released their first EP, “Love Your Ground,” in Nov. 2008 and continued to play shows in the UK and the U.S. Sons began hard work putting together their first studio album under the direction of Markus Dravs. The only track to make it on “Sigh No More” from their EP was “Little Lion Man,” which coincidentally became their official single and most popular song. Not under contract with a label to ensure that their vision wasn’t compromised, the band financed their own album and began touring with Laura Marling again.
The British quartet signed contracts with four labels worldwide, including Island Records and Glassnote Records. Mumford & Sons even created their own label called “Gentlemen of the Road.”
The fall of 2009 marked a good season for the band — they released “Sigh No More” in October and started a full stint of performances both in the UK and across the pond. The band frequented television shows and even made appearances on various award shows.
Mumford & Sons was nominated for two Grammy’s and even performed during the show. The band’s performance blew away both the Grammy crowd and viewers of the award show and exposed the band to an even larger audience. The positive reception in the UK, U.S. and around the world helped make “Sigh No More” a must-have record. The album went platinum in the UK four times and the US twice — proof that Mumford & Sons has a uniquely alluring sound that captivates audiences.
Two years after the wild success of “Sigh No More,” Mumford finally released their sophomore album “Babel.” Tuesday marked the momentous occasion for the band and fans alike, especially since the quartet had begun playing some of their new material during their live gigs. The 12-track album (or 15 on the deluxe edition) embodies all the magic that the world was privy to during their debut and still holds strong to their essence — passionate musicality infused with honesty.
The first official single off the album “I Will Wait” is a perfect amalgamation of the immense talent both instrumentally and lyrically. The track’s introduction is purely instrumental — the sound of the stringed instruments and the soft drumming beat rushes in and sweeps you up. And then, the vocals cause for a break in the speed and the song slows. Mumford’s gritty vocals are hauntingly striking and the group harmonization highlights one of the unique aspects of the band. The song was a brilliant move in introducing the band’s sophomore effort to the public sphere once again.
The title track, “Babel,” sets the tone for the rest of the album quickly and with fervor. Once again, the guitar and banjo instrumentation leads the track and builds into Mumford’s crashing vocals. His rough vocals add ferocity to the song and continue to build throughout the song without losing steam. “Babel” kick starts the Mumford & Sons engine and gives it the proper push over the edge to break that sophomore lull.
Another track, “Lover of the Light” highlights Mumford’s vocals with the fact that the song immediately begins with them. His vocals evoke a sweetish tone and gradually build into the instrumentation. The song is a bit mellower than some of the other tracks on the record, but the song doesn’t lull; the chorus is catchy with Mumford and his background vocalists holding the “o” sounds in “hold” and “goal.” The song rises and falls, only to rise again, and ends on a high note with a dragging note on the West London quartet’s instruments.
Mumford & Sons solidifies that they are true musicians. Their sophomore album is a genius record, which shows that the band knows they have a good thing going for them. The band has commenced an international tour and will cross the pond and perform at the Hollywood Bowl on November 10.