There certainly has been a lot of anticipation for anything new from Mumford & Sons following the huge success of the 2009 groundbreaking album Sigh No More. For it was an album that did a lot to open the door for the modern folk revival. Countless folk bands and acts have become recognized and celebrated because of songs like "Little Lion Man" and "The Cave". Going into this sophomore album, the question has been whether Mumford would stay true to the sound that gave them success or would they seek out a new sound.
Now second albums are always key. For there is just something magical about the unexpected success of a debut album. It will take everyone by storm and temporarily overtake the musical landscape. In the case of bands like The Beatles and Nirvana with their debut releases, they never relinquished their control. Sigh No More was deep enough of an album that it continues to last. However Mumford & Sons correctly assessed their situation and recognized that they needed to release new material if they were ever going to take the steps to being a band like The Beatles or Nirvana.
The new album is named Babel and it will come out in late September. In order to appease their anxious audience, a lead single entitled "I Will Wait" was released yesterday. After giving it a few lessons, I have my own assessment of it. Personally it struck me as everything that was great about "Little Lion Man" and "The Cave" with small doses of progress. What I mean by this is that Mumford & Sons are growing and transitioning. But they are taking their time with this expansions. In this single, the expansion is small but meaningful. Similar to the two aforementioned tracks, this song just drives (it does not hurt it that the clip for this song is movement down a road"). The instrumentation is saturated with an up-beat tempo. At times it all comes together with every instrument firing on all cylinders. Sometimes, an acoustic guitar is the strongest instrument and no note sounds sad. Instead they ring of triumph. Helping to communicate a message coming out of contemplation. When Mumford declares "I will wait" the piano being struck in addition to the guitar are his biggest source of support. They show that song will go on even during this serious moment. After all, that is what this is a song. I feel that Mumford & Sons recognize this and have fun with it. On Sigh No More, I found that some of the songs were a little slow or drawn out for continued listening. I could only return to them after a period of time. But with a song like "I Will Wait" I enjoy the journey every time.
I cannot say that the rest of Babel will be like this, but I am certainly more intrigued to find out because of this song which showcases the promise of one of today's premiere bands.
Please enjoy,
Nick Howard
