Mumford & Sons: Babel Review

"The band's sophomore album Babel arrives as the result of a hectic touring schedule and the band's desire to create a record that retains the authentic sound fans have grown infatuated with at a tempo that resembles their energetic performances."

Review of Mumford & Sons' 2013 album Babel.
Read the full review below:

Since the 2009 release of their debut album Sigh No More, Mumford & Sons have performed at big-ticket festivals like Bonnaroo and Pinkpop, contributed material for the 2011 British film Wuthering Heights soundtrack, and gained a reputation as a phenomenal live act. The band’s sophomore album Babel arrives as the result of a hectic touring schedule and the band’s desire to create a record that retains the authentic sound fans have grown infatuated with at a tempo that resembles their energetic performances. The London group left listeners with a teaser earlier this summer through the August release of Babel’s first single “I Will Wait.” True to the band’s mission statement for Babel, the song’s unique instrumentation (few bands can successfully pull off a banjo) paired with Marcus Mumford’s expansive vocal range is classic Mumford & Sons; the only real difference is in the up-tempo rhythms, a feature that reappears in tracks like “Lover of the Light” and “Below My Feet.” Rather than taking off on a different musical path, Mumford & Sons seek to refine the gold mine they struck in Sigh No More, exploring their sound throughout Babel and adding depth and vigor to each recording.