Once again, I may well be accused of jumping on the bandwagon with this one (that pun never gets old), but I can't avoid the fact that this is the best song I've heard in months, if not the whole year. Mumford & Sons, an indie-folk quartet from London, came out of nowhere earlier this month with their debut album Sigh No More, and quickly became one of the most talked-about bands in the world - and for all the right reasons. This is a band well worth your attention.
The intro to this song is just epic. A lone, percussive acoustic guitar strums out an energetic riff for a few bars before the rest of the band comes in with a dramatic crash that's almost orchestral. From there on in you know things are going to get serious...and, well, they do. Talk about a chorus - I've rarely ever heard one so powerful and honest, beyond being (as it is) very tuneful. Also, how many folk bands do you know who use the word 'fucked' so many times in one song? Joking aside, there's something in that that, once again, sets these guys apart.
The unusual combination and use of instruments is what makes this band so distinctive and yet so familiar (in fact, to really appreciate this aspect of the band, I recommend you check out the video for this track, which is intimately grandiose). Alternating throughout the album, primarily between guitar, banjo, upright bass and piano, and adding the occasional mandolin, violin, keyboard, drums and even a foot-percussion kit, they've basically taken a whole bunch of musical styles from more or less the past century and brought them together in an entirely unique way. I'm still picking up on similarities to other artists and genres, both in this track and throughout the album. Fleet Foxes, Cat Stevens, Dave Matthews Band, countless country and bluegrass artists and folk music in general emerge as influences at different points, but there's also a proper rockstar vibe coming from these guys. For reasons I can't entirely justify, I think that if The Killers played folk, Mumford & Sons might be what they sounded like.
The number of times I've listened to this in the past few weeks would be enough to make me actively avoid most songs, and yet I still find myself scrolling to M in my iPod on a daily basis. I think the lyrics are what give this song such staying power. On paper, they seem apologetic and regretful, but the music gives them a forceful, almost accusatory edge. It's a strange combination of emotions that nonetheless reflects something very familiar. If you've felt it too, I think you'll know what I mean.
It's official: folk is cool again. Not that it ever wasn't.
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