‘Babel ' is a slick roller coaster of an album filled with some substantial dips but some mighty highs for the Mumford & Sons. It’s more of the same, surely, but has enough intrigue to bring in new fans who wrote them off as cookie-cutter radio rock.
Here is the blow by blow, track by track lowdown on Mumford & Sons latest "Babel".
Babel - Uniformly one of the best songs on the album, this title track propels itself forward with a strong momentum. It ends sooner than one would have liked, almost acting as an introduction to the album itself. But the song is huge, the chorus wide and sweeping, and sets a sincere tone for the duration of the record.
Whispers in the Dark - This song goes for a more whimsical approach, teetering an odd tension that makes the majority of the first half of the song tense and darker. Lyrics name dropping "the devil" don't do it any favors in bringing the energy up, but the group's instrumentation help to lift the song up from some moody beginnings. There's also a neat little musical breakdown halfway through the song, making it a dynamic and interesting listen.
I Will Wait - The album's lead single begins absolutely huge, break-necking back and forth between channeled guitars, only for the whole thing to drop when front man Marcus Mumford chimes in. The song is the absolute perfect single pick. It's melodic enough to justify singing to it, but upbeat and hook-friendly enough to bare repeating. For the bands detractors it is sort of easy to see what there is to like.
Holland Road - Holland Park takes a stab at a more ballad-centered introspective with modest results. The song's overall slower pace doesn't differentiate itself enough from the rest of the album. The band still retains their common sensibilities even with the slower speed, and it makes for a song that is solid albeit underwhelming at this point.
Ghosts That We Knew - This track is a clear acoustic ballad. It's somber and pretty sensational if you already have a comfort in music of this type. There is some mild crescendo building here, and some haunting backing vocals that really add some flavor to the track and make it one of the top 3 best on the album.
Lover of the Light - This song and the following act as brother and sister here, both recalling times of love found, lost and rediscovered. They are also two of the softest songs on the album instrumentally. Love of the Light is arguably the more somber of the two, but acts as the first half of the relationship. You can only hope it gets greater.
Lover's Eyes - This song seems to be the heart of the album. Firstly, it is an extension of Lover of the Light both lyrically and musically. Secondly, it is one of the longest songs on the album, and seems to take into account all sort of sweeping sounds the band has explored with their previous material. It's a rather quality summation of Mumford and Sons. A huge chorus that builds, lyrics of love, and cellos and banjos galore.
Reminder - Reminder is a short song, and obviously the bridge between the first part and the second. It's not remarkable or wholly interesting in any way other than that brief respite and change of pace if one was to listen to the album directly through.
Hopeless Wanderer - This song is surely a misstep. For one, a full listen through will have you somewhat exhausted by this point, considering that the group seem to be retreading the same ideas of the last 20 minutes (in songs like "Ghosts That We Knew") with inferior results and a slightly more lackadaisical approach. It shows a mild little vocal aggression which is a nice tough, but not enough to save the song.
Broken Crown - This track takes a while to build, but once it kicks into full gear towards the last third it is a tour-de-force of vocal intensity, banjo rambling, and harmonic leads. It all mold together to create a frenetic action scene of a song - something akin to a final battle for Mumford and Sons.
Below My Feet - Below My Feet extends the formula of "slow build, breakdown, and huge ending chorus and crescendo" to exhausting effect. Through a random listening in between other artists' songs, this song may stick out more. But through a direct album listen of 'Babel,' the formula runs a tad dry. It isn't principally interesting, but it is a nice warm listen that's both comfortable and likable.
Not With Haste - 'Not with Haste' closes the 50 minute album with resonance. It follows the chemistry-based formula of the group to a tee, but plays it well so you sort of tend to forgive them. It's pretty and elegant, and definitely adds a more somber approach to their overall style. It's folksy acoustics also a nice play over the almost deafening banjo work on many other songs.
Mumford and Sons seems to keep their original signature sound intact and it makes the album a very safe play. One can only wish they expand their horizons in the future and introduce new stylistic choices. Their debut was remarkable; this album is an extension, as if a sequel. Yet let's hope the band change it up for a third before their style becomes a bore.
Purchase the album " Babel" or individual album tracks here
