Mumford & Sons return strong
No words are left unspoken and no emotions are left untouched in indie folk-rock band Mumford & Sons' new album, Babel. Despite the title's biblical allusion to barriers built by miscommunication and misunderstanding, this album has no trouble communicating the universal themes of love, loss and perseverance through a universal language: music.
Although critics have voiced disapproval of Mumford & Sons' lack of innovation in its sophomore album, why try to fix something that does not need to be fixed? The band already discovered a nearly perfect balance of musical, lyrical and emotional elements through its first album, Sigh No More. The next step was simply transferring these colors to paint a picture on the blank canvas which was Babel.
But first, take a moment to bask in the glory which is Marcus Mumford's voice. One of the most distinct and nontraditionally beautiful of this time, Mumford's tone ranges from a deep, hushed whisper of vulnerability to an exuberant, gritty howl of emotion. His voice bears the ability to be simultaneously smooth and muted, yet rough and raucous.
The renowned Mumford & Sons cross-genre sound introduced and revolutionized in Sigh No More makes a return in Babel, coming back with more strength, development and raw emotion. In each song, indie meets folk meets rock meets bluegrass in a beautiful compilation of musical styles and elements. Tracks such as the hit single "I Will Wait" bear a certain similarity to the memorable anthem "The Cave" from the band's first album. The juxtaposition of a capella harmonies and raucous instrumental breaks of the verses and the crescendo and decrescendo out of the roar of the chorus in these songs are musical elements that have come to define Mumford & Sons.
"Whispers in the Dark" and "Ghosts That We Knew" showcase the almost unhuman guitar, mandolin and banjo picking and speed-strumming skills that the members of the band possess. The instrumental lines are passed back and forth between these instruments as others, such as vocals, electric guitar and percussion, are added on, building the song to a point where the listener can hear and feel the infamous Mumford stomp and head bang taking hold.
However, the band does make a few efforts to change up its style in tracks such as "Broken Crown," which explores a much darker, grungier side of Mumford & Sons that has not been revealed before. In it, the band employs electric guitar and a full drum set in an almost hard-rock style. A complementary style can be heard in "Reminder," a soft spoken interlude consisting of acoustic guitar and voice. "Hopeless Wanderer" opens with another new musical idea: 90 seconds of piano and voice until everything drops out and returns with a pounding double-time rock.
Babel is essentially an album of juxtaposition. Throughout the album are themes of love and heartbreak, insecurity and self worth. The moments of silence are broken by instrumental, vocal and emotional crescendos. From the soft timbre of the piano and acoustic guitar and the raucous metallic roar of brass and electric guitar, to the connotation of confusion in the title and the actual clarity that the album exudes, Mumford & Sons' sophomore album is impressive, strong and universal. It speaks a language that moves far beyond words and notes; it tells the story of the human condition in a self-empowering whisper and battle cry.
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