James Arden checks out the garage rockers latest album.
The Christian rock band from Brighton bring religion to the masses.
Recipe for modern R'n'B album: liberal helpings of guest rappers and an overdose of sexual euphemisms.
There is, however, a new champion of nu-folk: Mumford & Sons. The four-piece, London-based twenty-somethings have been around for three years already but are now stepping into their own spotlight. Marcus Mumford, despite his age, has a voice aching with passion, heart and emotion. His melodious moans and visceral roars head the band perfectly.
The opener ‘Sigh No More’ begins quite muted but explodes into a forceful paradigm of what the album has to offer. Their use of banjos and mandolins allows the music to move with ease from folk to almost bluegrass. ‘The Cave’, for example, overflows with American folk influence. ‘Little Lion Man’ and ‘Thistle & Weeds’ are buttresses for the album, focusing not on huge bouts of wordy passages but instead containing a strong chorus repeating throughout. Mumford & Sons have impressive ability with harmonies (although not as stunning as Fleet Foxes), as heard in ‘White Blank Page’ and ‘Timshel’.
Now for the criticism: even though the album is solid and full of promising individual songs, there is no real stepping out of the box. This could be ascribed to naivety or being too influenced by other artists. Maybe they just need to take more risks. That, I am positive, will come with time. Sigh No More may not be their masterpiece but is a very promising start. It certainly merits numerous listens.
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