In the song "Where Are You Now" off Mumford & Son's latest album, "Babel," front-man Marcus Mumford wonders, "Do you ever think of me in the quiet of the crowd?" After selling millions of copies of their Grammy-nominated debut album "Sigh No More" and plastering the New York subway system with advertisements for their sophomore album, the woman in question probably does, indeed, think of Mumford often.
With the release of their latest studio album Tuesday, it will be difficult to forget about this band of troubadours turned rock-stars anytime soon.
It seemed unlikely that an indie-folk band would catapult into international acclaim after only one album, yet Mumford & Sons has defied the odds.
In "Babel," the band shows no indication of straying from their folk roots into more mainstream trends. The latest album parallels "Sigh No More" in both style and content. "Babel" is filled with lyrically driven acoustic ballads. The title-track "Babel" erupts in crescendos of guitar and banjo riffs that support the band's powerful vocals.
Mumford has managed to further develop their sound in their latest album, making it arguably even stronger than "Sigh No More." "Babel" confirms that their emotionally driven folk style is here to stay.
The Setonian gives this album 5 out of 5 stars.
Emily Lake can be reached at emily.lake@student.shu.edu.
