Mumford & Sons - Wilder Mind
In 2009, the English folk rock band appeared out of nowhere on the big rock stage and infected everyone with their sound. Songs such as “The Little Lion Man” or “The Cave” were played up and down in rock clubs and had the potential to save any party, no matter how boring it used to be until then. The quartet became the planet’s hottest band. Their acoustic, yet completely energetic folk sound on the debut record Sigh No More was something very original back then and it led to many band picking up this sound in their wake.
After their second – also very good – record Babel (2012) and touring the world the band announced to take a break for an undefined time. Lead singer Marcus Mumford engaged in many other projects during that period. Just to mention a few, he contributed songs to the soundtrack of the Cohen Brother’s last movie “Inside Llewyn Davis” and he participated in The New Basement Tapes that set old Bob Dylan lyrics to music.
In early May 2015, Mumford & Sons published their third full length studio album Wilder Mind, an album that fans worldwide have been longingly waiting for. Prior to the issue of the album, the band already released the first single – “Believe”. When listening to the song one thing was clear. Wilder Mind was going to be completely different to their previous recordings. And when the whole album was released, this should be proven to be right. Mumford and Sons do not sound anything like they used to on their first two records. The uncomplicated and vivid folky rock tunes that shaped their style and that made them stand out from many other bands was replaced by piano and synthesizer driven pop songs. The banjo that took on a major part of their songs basically does not exist anymore. Mumford & Sons have gone somewhat electric. They have moved on towards U2-esque stadium rock.
It is completely normal that a band or a musician is feeling the need to develop. Bob Dylan, for example, has changed his style a countless times throughout his exceptional career. He alienated his fans through his metamorphosis from the folk singer and songwriter to the rock n roll musician, yet he won many new fans and delivered two of his by no doubt best records during that time. Under these circumstances and bearing this in mind, it is not unreasonable that Mumford & Sons wanted to try something different. They have brought out of their sound everything that was possible and they were some sort of in the need of some experiments to not repeat themselves over and over again. However, Mumford & Sons’s change seems a bit stale, a bit shallow, a bit sterile and not particularly creative. It seems as if you the band wanted to do something new by all means in order to please an even larger audience. "Snake Eyes", for example could have been a great tune had the band left out the synthesizers. They are completely misplaced and forced onto the music. It sounds as if they were there, just to be there. You get the feeling that you have already listened to the record many times before even actually having put it on.
Yet, despite all the rather harsh criticism, some of the songs such as “Monster”, “Cold Arms”, “Ditmas” on the album are really great and have the potential to outplay many of their older songs. The second half of the record is by far better than the first one. It is smoother and more authentic and with less electronic elements than the pieces before. Unfortunately, these few good songs are in the minority and it is also questionable how many listeners will in fact leave the record on until they reach those tunes. Mumford & Sons descent into popular mainstream with songs blown up to hymns is very present.
Wilder Mind is going hand in hand with so many other records by bands that started with furor, but were not able or simply unwilling to keep up with that. Coldplay, Kings Of Leon, Mando Diao or The National – ringing a bell anyone?
Rating: 5 out of 10 Grizzlies
Released on Island and Glassnote Records
Track list:
Mumford & Sons
Glassnote Records
Island
After their second – also very good – record Babel (2012) and touring the world the band announced to take a break for an undefined time. Lead singer Marcus Mumford engaged in many other projects during that period. Just to mention a few, he contributed songs to the soundtrack of the Cohen Brother’s last movie “Inside Llewyn Davis” and he participated in The New Basement Tapes that set old Bob Dylan lyrics to music.
In early May 2015, Mumford & Sons published their third full length studio album Wilder Mind, an album that fans worldwide have been longingly waiting for. Prior to the issue of the album, the band already released the first single – “Believe”. When listening to the song one thing was clear. Wilder Mind was going to be completely different to their previous recordings. And when the whole album was released, this should be proven to be right. Mumford and Sons do not sound anything like they used to on their first two records. The uncomplicated and vivid folky rock tunes that shaped their style and that made them stand out from many other bands was replaced by piano and synthesizer driven pop songs. The banjo that took on a major part of their songs basically does not exist anymore. Mumford & Sons have gone somewhat electric. They have moved on towards U2-esque stadium rock.
It is completely normal that a band or a musician is feeling the need to develop. Bob Dylan, for example, has changed his style a countless times throughout his exceptional career. He alienated his fans through his metamorphosis from the folk singer and songwriter to the rock n roll musician, yet he won many new fans and delivered two of his by no doubt best records during that time. Under these circumstances and bearing this in mind, it is not unreasonable that Mumford & Sons wanted to try something different. They have brought out of their sound everything that was possible and they were some sort of in the need of some experiments to not repeat themselves over and over again. However, Mumford & Sons’s change seems a bit stale, a bit shallow, a bit sterile and not particularly creative. It seems as if you the band wanted to do something new by all means in order to please an even larger audience. "Snake Eyes", for example could have been a great tune had the band left out the synthesizers. They are completely misplaced and forced onto the music. It sounds as if they were there, just to be there. You get the feeling that you have already listened to the record many times before even actually having put it on.
Yet, despite all the rather harsh criticism, some of the songs such as “Monster”, “Cold Arms”, “Ditmas” on the album are really great and have the potential to outplay many of their older songs. The second half of the record is by far better than the first one. It is smoother and more authentic and with less electronic elements than the pieces before. Unfortunately, these few good songs are in the minority and it is also questionable how many listeners will in fact leave the record on until they reach those tunes. Mumford & Sons descent into popular mainstream with songs blown up to hymns is very present.
Wilder Mind is going hand in hand with so many other records by bands that started with furor, but were not able or simply unwilling to keep up with that. Coldplay, Kings Of Leon, Mando Diao or The National – ringing a bell anyone?
Rating: 5 out of 10 Grizzlies
Released on Island and Glassnote Records
Track list:
- Tompkins Square Park
- Believe
- The Wolf
- Wilder Mind
- Just Smoke
- Monster
- Snake Eyes
- Broad-Shouldered Breasts
- Cold Arms
- Ditmas
- Only Love
- Hot Gates
Mumford & Sons
Glassnote Records
Island