"Babel" by Mumford & Sons: Review

By Spence Blazak

            Mumford and Sons has been doing something since their 2007 inception that is very uncommon in the modern rock scene: making a folk-based style popular. The band follows up 2009’s smash hit Sigh No More with Babel, which delivers in every way a fan could want. It provides evolved sound, deeper lyrics, mandolin solos, and surpasses its predecessor in numerous ways.

            Marcus Mumford and his band of merry men start the album off with the song “Babel.” Mumford sings, “My ears hear the call of my unborn sons/and I know their choices color all I’ve done/But I’ll explain it all to the watchman’s son/I’ve never spent a better year in love.” This line is a good sample of the tone the album is going for, something introspective, a little haunting, and a chorus as catchy as “Call Me Maybe” (maybe just a bit of an overstatement).

            Another great song on the album is the single “I Will Wait,” which became a Youtube sensation when it was performed on Saturday Night Live. “Now I’ll be bold/As well as strong,” Mumford sings. “And use my head alongside my heart.” It utilizes the sophisticated hoe-down vibe that made their previous hits “Little Lion Man” and “The Cave” such huge Top 40 hits.

            The album doesn’t have a real bad song, but admittedly lurches through the underwhelming song “Lovers in the Light.” This is just knit picking, considering one “eh” song out of fifteen great ones is a superb ratio. This is compared to my recent listen of Battle Studies by John Mayer, which got a 9/11 “eh” song ratio. As far as the last three songs, they are only available on the Deluxe Edition, but they couldn’t be more worth the extra 3 bucks. It includes a Simon and Garfunkel cover, as well as two originals, and they might be the three best songs on the album. Their use of silence and harmonization will leave satisfied chills on your spine after every listen. The finale “Where Are You Now?” has been the go-to song of the month on my iPod.

            The overall tone works much better than on the first album, which I found to be a bit too perpetually dreary at times, whereas this is melancholic yet upbeat at the same time. Whether you are new or old to the band, Babel is a must own album, and it is especially worth a gander if you want to try something folk, or if you just want to satisfy your secret banjo fetish. If you’re anything like me, it will be the latter.