Music review: Mumford & Sons – 鈥榃ilder Mind鈥�
Sounding like a harmonious blending of Coldplay鈥檚 airy tone, the relaxed coolness of Dave Matthews and the earthy bravado of Kings of Leon, the latest album from Mumford & Sons is a major musical departure from 2012鈥檚 鈥淏abel.鈥�
While 鈥淏abel鈥� was a huge commercial and critical success, I was still hesitant to jump on the bandwagon. With the release of 鈥淲ilder Mind,鈥� I鈥檓 completely on board with a front-row seat to enjoy the entertaining excursion.
For the new material, gone is the banjo, folksy acoustic guitar chords and kick drum, replaced with the hum of electric guitars, full drum kit and calming keyboards delivering a serene layering of synth chords resulting in a more expansive sound. New producer James Ford (Arctic Monkeys and Florence + The Machine) was brought in to oversee the British quartet鈥檚 most collaborative effort to date, with every member participating in the creative process.
鈥淭ompkins Square Park鈥� opens the album in commanding style as Marcus Mumford sings about a crumbling partnership and the desperate attempt to find a successful healing solution.
The album鈥檚 first single, 鈥淏elieve,鈥� finds the band taking a cue from Coldplay and Snow Patrol by delivering a soft, stirring synthesizer aura comfortably layered with guitar and piano chords as Mumford鈥檚 passionate vocals describe the hurt, confusion and frustration of a relationship experiencing a communication breakdown.
Led by driving electric bass, 鈥淭he Wolf鈥� is undeniable proof that abandoning the unplugged approach was the right move at the right time. Hypnotic tracks like 鈥淛ust Smoke鈥� and 鈥淏road-Shouldered Beasts鈥� best illustrate the band鈥檚 new style, while 鈥淒itmas鈥� has quickly become my favorite arrangement with its soaring chorus and glorious guitar riffs.
Change is inevitable. For Mumford & Sons, change leads to progress and the start of a new adventure.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at crhodes@heraldstandard.com.