Mumford & Sons - Babel.

Mumford & Sons - Babel.  *****

Where the hell have this folk quartet appeared from? This seems to be the question on the lips of many whom have their toes dipped in modern music. However it is the question fans of Mumford & Sons have terminally feared. The question viciously drags Mumford and his sons (not his actual sons can I add, Marcus Mumford accompanied by best friends Ted, Ben & Winston) onto a global stage with a magnifying spotlight provoking them to violently shield their eyes, as a world of popular culture devours them.

   Mumford & Sons have always been, to its base of hardcore fans, the world's best kept secret. Well, to that world of popular culture as I've mentioned. Their unique yet unbelievable combination of heartfelt melodies, lyrics that are humanly relatable as well as intelligently literate, and their modest, pure attitudes lay under radar. Their debut album "Sigh No More" attracted the attention of America however, nevertheless they managed to sneak in unnoticed under the ruling of Prince Bieber, and took the country by storm. Adopted sons of the States now it seems, as the band have made it quite clear they embrace everything country and bluegrass in the world of music. They toured, and toured, and toured, and won the hearts of the American "rootsy" purists. Back at home we were pining. New material on trial at gigs overseas is all we had to fill our appetites. However the wait is over.

   "Babel" is a musical novel. It tells a tale of the power of love, the absence of love and strength of love. Lovely right? This is done in as far away as possible from the predictable cliché manner as expected when tackling love. It's immensely relatable manner allows you to apply your own personal situation to the music, as you take the journey on yourself. The music itself, the new clean cut production, juxtaposes with the good ol' dirty acoustic guitar and banjo. A criticism could be the dirt and grit has deserted them, which was present on the bands debut "Sigh No More". However Marcus's rousing gruff screams sway it away from the holy evangelic clean cut and back toward the gritty, dirty sweat rock folk Mumford and his associates are rightly categorised under. The boys' literary influence far from shy's away from the album. Influences of John Steinbeck (you wonderful men) are cryptically encapsulated within the album, as Marcus preaches of "choice" on several occasions. (Read "East of Eden") Marcus has revealed that there are many more lines lifted from the bibles of the world of literacy, he mysteriously refused to elaborate on exactly what however.

    The album kick-starts with the violently rousing track title "Babel". Any expectation of an easy ride from Mumford and Co are quickly diminished as Marcus beautifully screams his intentions to "tear them down", referring to walls placed up by a certain someone. A real Goosebumps point of the album. "Whispers In The Dark" comes to the rescue as a gentle uplifting breeze that passes through, with a quick ruffle of the hair before departing. The melodies and instrumentation make this a joyful number.

   Then we hit "I Will Wait". If we take away the fact it has been overplayed, and scoffed by the modern music industry, it is fantastically deep piece of work, that gets you going to say the least. Here credit is due for producer Markus Dravs. His application of a clean cut sound onto such a "rough around the edges" track is a stroke of brilliance. Here in particular the angelic harmonies show a glimmer of the bands bluegrass/country influences. With this song more than the others feeling like a good ol' rumble in the barnyard, combined with heart.

    "Holland Road" and "Broken Crown" are again violent, relying on Marcus's rapturous vocals as they he cries how a person "cut me down" and how he "fucked it all away" in the latter. These songs provide a morbid shadow, and the unique pattern of drums included in "Holland Road" give you a sense of walking away. "Broken Crown" uses an enchanting, enticing initial riff, that builds into a great horn based cry, before descending back into the  depths of the quiet and mysterious.

     The way the Mumford's have organised the track-list is also a stroke of genius. You go from "Broken Crown" to "Below My Feet", a real triumph of the album. This transition from the dark, despairing violent heartbreak to a holy, almost cleansing song is a fantastically uplifting juxtaposition."I was told by Jesus all is well, so all must be well" offers comfort and an arm round the shoulder so to speak. Again that infamous Mumford build up from the beautiful, sweet, melancholy story-telling to a rousing chorus in which banjo's, pianos, double bass's and acoustic guitars seem to shake the very earth on which we stand is a triumph.

   There are some hints of desperation on the album. "Ghosts That We Knew" and  "Hopeless Wanderer" starkly contrast each other in displaying this. One tells a soft mellow tale that builds up to ascends into a holy divine cry, as the latter attacks it raggedly between the teeth with the enthusiastic giddy, fast-paced instrumentation. 

    "Reminder" offers some acoustic solitude and showcases the Mumfords at their most naked and raw. Marcus accompanied by only his acoustic guitar, tells a brief tale and leaves you in a 2:04 wonderful daydream, questioning the whereabouts of a certain person.
  "Lover Of The Light" and "Lover's Eyes", although immensely contradictive in their lyrical manner, offer a wry smile as warm, powerful banjo solo's that whisk you way and leave your heart racing, take the stage.

      We finish our journey on the breathtakingly beautiful "Not With Haste", which for me, is the one of the finest pieces of song writing produced. In a world of auto-tune, fast cars and materialism, it's purity shines through. My faith in the human race restored as finally meaningful lyrics such as "we'll fulfill our dreams, and we'll be free" surface. The holy trinity of banjo, piano and acoustic guitar maximise their potential here, as they produce a sonicaly divine farewell that touches your very soul.

   All in all the 3 year wait is justified. It allowed songs to be road tested, and to mature, like the band that nurtured them. This is more than an album, it's a piece of material mankind should treasure, such is its relevance to life as a human being. As opposed to that of a SnapBack wielding youth preaching "YOLO" from a sports car. 

Let's just hope the boys are not distracted by the promise of untold riches, and find comfort only in the deep riches their work has provided it's dedicated flock.