Following three years of tours, Mumford & Sons is at last set to release its sophomore album. In a method contrary to popular practice, the English folk band has been road-testing material for the latest album, Babel, to perfect an already well-recognized sound. Though it is familiar, the resulting cacophony of acoustic instruments and front man Marcus Mumford’s rough, agonized vocals grows exhausting.
The title track launches the LP with bouncing guitar chords and Country Marshall’s banjo riffs backing Mumford’s angst. These ingredients, while allowing the vocals and the banjo to occasionally eclipse the guitar, continue through “Whispers in the Dark” and the lead single “I Will Wait.” A predictable formula quickly emerges: each track begins with a somewhat subdued introduction that leads into a crescendo continuing until an often abrupt banjo-fueled end.
Even the slower songs that allow Mumford to showcase his lyrics conform to this pattern. While the absence of bright and overpowering guitars on such tracks as “Ghosts That We Knew” and “Not With Haste” is a fortunate change of pace, Marshall’s picking style does not allow the listener to relax; both songs inevitably return to the full instrumental fervor emblematic of Babel.
Themes that have seeped into the lyrics after years spent on the road begin the process of salvaging the album, a process that is unfortunately cut short. The more personal angle of “Hopeless Wanderer,” for instance, allows the track to stand out from an otherwise predictable repertoire.
The song begins with a pleasant piano intro until the chorus sets off rampaging strumming and an unexpected but not unwelcome rotation of rhythms. These breaks from the structured remainder of the album snap the listener to attention as the instrumental virtuosity of the group becomes clear amidst the 52-minute wave of debased vibrating strings.
Individual tracks are not problematic; Mumford & Sons truly has perfected a unique style. It is the album as a whole that makes listening an arduous chore. Babel can become enjoyable, provided that the listener takes substantial tea breaks between each track.
