Welcome to CalTimes’s Album of the Week series! We will review our favorite albums and artists, old and new, across all genres. If you have any suggestions, please email us!
Mumford & Sons is a British folk-rock band with acclaim in the Americas, even winning Album of the Year at the Grammys for their sophomore album. Their music is fast-paced and energetic, with many different instruments, but is heavily banjo-driven at times. They are one of the prominent stomp and holler bands that were the first to rejuvenate the genre in the 21st century. The genre didn’t rise in popularity until Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” emergence, which showed the appeal of stomp and holler, perhaps making a comeback. The main characteristic of the genre is its raw vocals, driving rhythms, and loud, vibrant noise that appeals to live performances. Other bands that have notably impacted the genre are the Lumineers, Mt. Joy, and Lord Huron.
Mumford & Sons was the first major group to achieve commercial success for the genre in this century. They are often credited with bringing the indie folk and stomp and holler genre into the mainstream world, which seems very prevalent in the 2020s. So, let’s look at their debut album, released in 2009 and helping bring back this genre and inspire other artists.
Like most of the band’s albums, Sigh No More uses prominent uses of the banjo and guitar, powerful vocals, and a fast-paced rhythm that feels uplifting. The album goes through a spiritual journey with ideas of personal struggle, hope, and love shown through their compelling lyricism. The album’s title is inspired by Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing, where there is a song in the play where the band takes Shakespeare’s words to create an album centralized on the play’s messaging and sings of the power of love and its complexities.
A few songs, particularly, have caught my attention the most, and I consider them my favorites.
Track 7, “Little Lion Man,” is the most popular song of this album, and it hit massive waves in the charts for a good reason. The music is high-energy and frantic, creating a catchy melody with all the notable instruments. The song talks about youthful arrogance, where young adults feel filled with bravery, similar to a lion. Still, throughout the song, he realizes his arrogance has caused problems and eventually understands he knows nothing of the world. It is a song that reflects on growing up, understanding that no one knows what they are doing, and being okay with the fact that everyone has felt lost.
Track 2, “The Cave,” is another popular song off this album. It is inspired by Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, where the narrator is singing about the feeling of being finally left out of the cave or darkness but is referring to getting out of a relationship that has left the person feeling shackled. The song dives into the hopeful and freeing feeling of getting out of a dark place and finding self-worth by escaping this cave and reaching for the light.
Track 5, “White Blank Page,” is one of my favorite songs off the album. The song tells the story of a man who is deeply in love with a woman who feels he has so much love that he is unable to express it. Throughout the song, he speaks of the feeling of his passion, but it makes it angry as if he is trying to write a love letter, but he is unable to express the words, and as he looks at this “white blank page,” he feels rage at himself unable to express his passion. It is a profound and engaging way to express the rawness of love.
Rating: 8/10
The band’s lyricism is one of my favorites compared to most albums, and with expressive instrumentals and vocals, it massively appeals to my emotions. Each track is potent and never feels like a lack of emotion. My only gripe is this album, which sometimes feels out of date with the current music being released in this genre. However, there is much joy in feeling this album’s nostalgia, with some tracks feeling ahead of their time, but you should take it for what it is if some of it feels outdated.
Mumford & Sons will release a new album, “Rushmere,” on March 28th. This follows a long hiatus from their last album, which was released seven years ago. If you enjoy this review and the album, make sure to listen to “Rushmere” next month.
