This album may be a relatively popular indie/alternative new release, but I think it still warrants a post because the songs on it are so unique in their alternative rock/freak folk sound. A quick disclaimer: I was already predisposed to like these songs as soon as the band had the ideas for them. Why? Banjo is one of the main stars of this album, and, as I have said extensively, I love me some banjo. The album artwork gives a fairly good representation of the music on the album. Namely, that its unique and quirky (exhibit A on the cover: the members of the band are posed inside an old-style shop window like mannequins. Unique much?). And with that, here we go!
1. "Sigh No More" - The album opens off in an almost Fleet Foxes-esque manner. A cappella style vocals, accompanied by simple piano and guitar. Around the midway point of the song, however, the Londoners of Mumford & Sons kick it into high gear with energetic vocals synth, guitar, and banjo! Overall, a strong and head-bopping opener.
2. "The Cave" - Banjo and almost indignant vocals share the stage in this song. Trumpets enter into the works as well in what becomes a wonderful cross between folk and rock. The lyrics are also clever in this song, as the narrator steadfastly declares "I will hold on hold on and I won't let you choke on the noose around your neck, and I'll find strength in pain and I will change my ways." The song builds to an triumphant and uptempo chorus that takes it out with a bang.
3. "Winter Winds" - We've got some good old fashioned guitar and banjo strumming going on in this song, which makes you feel like you're sitting around a campfire in the mountains somewhere. There's just a raw sense of joy to this song. Trumpet and other instruments combine to create infectious choruses. The song's message, in my opinion, is simple: we're all going to die eventually, so let's make the most of it while we can. That's it really. This song just sounds like, well, life.
4. "Roll Away Your Stone" - This song opens up with a meandering guitar rhythm akin to what you might hear on a morning in the country. Then, the tempo kicks into high gear as the day gets going. If you don't know this about me by now, I feel I should let you know that I'm a big fan of the banjo. The lyrics of this song also echo with a sort of sarcastic irony that I found extremely refreshing. The narrator muses: "It seems that all my bridges have been burned, but you say that's exactly how this grace thing works." Great music and lyrics + made me chuckle = happy listening camper.
5. "White Blank Page" - There's a bit more urgency to this song than others on this album. The song echoes with feelings of frustration at a love scorned, held back as much as possible, but still boiling under the surface. Vocals echo the feel of the lyrics perfectly; you can almost hear the concealed rage in the narrator's voice as he sings: "You did not think when you sent me to the brink... You desired my attention but denied my affections."
6. "I Gave You All" - This song fools you. It starts quietly, but builds into one of the most furious songs on the album. The impression I got was that a relationship is over, but the narrator doesn't quite understand. He asks, "How can you say your truth is better than ours?" As his anger grows, so too does the volume of the music and vocals. A chant begins: "I gave you all"... softly at first, then repeating over and over again, growing in intensity and anger until finally it explodes into a furious and still-confuses release of emotion, finally ending with "And now you've won, but I gave you all... [repeated]". Our narrator's pissed, and this song packs quite a punch.
7. "Little Lion Man" - This has been the biggest commercial hit off the album, and I'm sure you've heard the chorus to it somewhere. It's one of my favorites. The song starts with eager strumming. The song its entirety has sort of a controlled frantic-ness to it, as though the narrator has messed something up and is trying desperately to fix it. The chorus gives us a look into the heart of the problem: "And it was not your fault but mine, and it was your heart on the line. I really fucked it up this time, didn't I my dear?" Sentiments that have been echoed by men that have probably been echoed at least a couple times over the course of history. The song ends with a vocals-only repetition of the chorus, reinforcing the fact that the fault lies with the narrator, and with him alone.
8. "Timshel" - Though I think it's one of the least dynamic songs on the album, I liked it all the same from the beginning due to the name of the song along. For us literature nerds, "timshel," which John Steinbeck translates as "thou mayest," is basically the moral of East of Eden. Incidentally, I interpreted this song as a sort of retelling of the story line of the classic novel. The song opens up in Fleet Foxes fashion and builds slowly, using emotional lyrics that revolve around the idea of brotherhood: "But you are not alone in this... as brothers we will stand and we'll hold your hand."
9. "Thistle & Weeds" - This song echoes the sentiments of "The Cave," as the narrator sings about feeling alone and abandoned. He seems to feel as though his faith in God has gotten him nothing. He laments to God, "I know you have felt much more love than you've shown." Still, the narrator refuses to give up his entire system of beliefs. As strings, piano, and guitar provide some of the most emotional music on the album, the narrator sings out and repeats, "I will hold on." The song is pure, raw emotion, and it's one of the most affecting songs of the set.
10. "Awake My Soul" - This song is a bit more uptempo, and takes on the feel of musings. The narrator feels as though he is weak, and he must admit it. Still, he knows there is more to him than meets the eye, and he sings out to someone (it could be be God, it could be a lover, I guess that's where personal interpretation comes in) that, though he "struggle[s] to find any truth in your lies," he begs for whoever he sings to to "awake [his] soul." Through bass, banjo, guitar, and what sounds like organ, the song builds up to a hopeful repetition of a chant of "awake my soul." The song is uplifting in a down-to-earth kind of way. It allows you to buy completely into what this man is singing.
11. "Dust Bowl Dance" - Probably one of the best-written songs on this entire album. It song opens as a ballad, with solitary piano and vocals singing of the desolate Oklahoma panhandle during the time of the series of events surrounding the Dust Bowl and the resulting migration west. Banjo joins piano in what turns into a beautiful song, rich with emotion. It truly gives you a sense of the hopelessness and resignation people must have felt as they turned their backs on land that they had poured their sweat and blood into, only to have it spurn them by becoming barren. The narrator of the song becomes a man who is alone and has nothing to lose, a dangerous combination. Lay back and listen closely - the lyrics make this song a humdinger.
12. "After the Storm" - The final song on the album continues with the theme of "Dust Bowl Dance," ending the CD with our narrator beaten down, but not quite ready to give up hope. He sings about a time when he will once again be happy: "And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears." I got the impression that the narrator was either an older brother singing to reassure his little sister that they would see home once again, or a young husband reassuring his young wife of the same thing. The song tugs at your heartstrings, and ends the album beautifully.
When I first listened to this album in the car, I was along in the car. Immediately upon finishing the CD, I began it again and sang along with it all the way through once more. The album is overflowing with raw emotion, which makes it an extraordinarily powerful listen. The vocals are rough, making the always well-written lyrics that much more impactful. If you've never considered yourself much of a folk person, this is the perfect album to serve as an introduction. If you're a music fan in general, this is a perfect album to add to your collection.
Here's a link to their Myspace.
http://www.myspace.com/mumfordandsons
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Until next time, enjoy :)
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