Mumford and Sons is a British rock and folk band that is led by Marcus Mumford, and they are known for using eccentric instruments, like the mandolin, the accordion, the banjo, and the double bass. They have one cd available for purchase at the moment, with more music surely on the way.
Their debut cd, Sigh No More, is a winner from the opening title track, Sigh No More, to the closing track called After the Storm. Every song on the album feels like a cry out to the people of the world to stand up, realize their faults, and make a change for the better. As Mumford says in Dust Bowl Dance, “Seal my heart and break my pride. I’ve nowhere to stand and now nowhere to hide. Align my heart, my body, my mind, to face what I’ve done and do my time. Lyrics like these provide insight into the mind of the band members.
There is a strong sense of despair in their first cd, which culminates in “Little Lion Man”, in which Marcus explictly declares that the mistakes in his life were his fault and no one else’s. However, the closing song, “After the Storm”, leaves you with a hopeful feeling that everything might be okay after all. It’s lyrics say, “And there will come a time, you’ll see, with no more tears. And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears. Get over your hill and see what you find there, with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.” The album has a concept flow to it, although the songs are not closely tied together in lyrics or melody.
Highlights such as “The Cave”, and “Little Lion Man” are a big part of why Mumford and Sons has become such a Indie hit so quickly. With the exception of “Little Lion Man” and “Dust Bowl Dance”, the album Sigh No More seems like the type of album that you would hear playing at a hip coffee shop or a nice bookstore. My rating: 5 out of 5.
Here is a video to partially explain how amazing the band truly is, and also a link to their myspace page, where you can find all of their music to listen to for free.
Myspace page:
http://www.myspace.com/mumfordandsons
