MUMFORD & SONS

Babel

[Glassnote]

Returning after a multiplatinum, Grammy-nominated breakout album is no easy task, but with Babel, Mumford & Sons fight valiantly against the sophomore slump. The raucous title track gets things off to a strong start, as the U.K. foursome’s tight harmonies and foot-stomping arrangement support frontman Marcus Mumford’s defiant, snarling vocals. Other tunes benefit from a similar formula—Mumford’s anguished howl set against thumping drums and steady, rolling banjo—but when the band eschews its usual thundering crescendos, it makes for some pleasant surprises. “Reminder,” a sparse track with tender vocals and soft guitar, is among the record’s highlights. As with 2009’s Sigh No More, Babel centers heartbreak and despair, but “Not With Haste” closes the album with a glimmer of hope. “I’ll leave no time for a cynic’s mind,” Mumford sings. “We will be who we are / And they’ll heal our scars / Sadness will be far away.” That lyric, like the band itself, is full of promise. –Juli Thanki

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