Sometimes, the best thing to do is simplify everything. While gimmicks can be beneficial, there’s something to be said about ditching them and getting back to the basics. Such is the case with London-based indie rock megastars Mumford & Sons. After two full-lengths and several years of embracing the “folk” label with their banjo-driven sound, the British rockers have departed from this in favor of an edgier and more straight-forward one. The result is less gimmicks and more rock ‘n’ roll on the group’s latest full-length effort, Wilder Mind.
Right away, “Tompkins Square Park” proves that change has come for the quartet. With intense guitar parts and a groovy bassline, the opener gets Wilder Mind off to a great start, before leading straight into the album’s lead single, the surreal “Believe.” This song has an “after dark” mood which makes the perfect soundtrack for driving in the middle of the night. Things really pick up in the bridge, when the guitar explodes into the forefront after being layered under the other instrumentation all the way up to that point.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW6SkvErFEE[/youtube]As if the 1-2 punch of “Tompkins Square Park” and “Believe” isn’t enough, “The Wolf” is even more of a full-blown rocker. Here, the guitar and bass have a fun back-and-forth, while the grandiosity of every instrument together acts as the icing on this musical cake. The title track is more subdued and thus doesn’t possess as much gusto as its predecessors, although it’s still a relatively solid tune. “Just Smoke” is an enjoyable song with a head-bobbing riff, and is followed up by the slower, foot-tapping “Monster,” which can be mainly attributed to the fantastic drum work.
The second half of the record kicks off with “Snake Eyes,” a faster tune which continually builds until its climactic ending. Here, a fiery guitar line ends the song with a bang. “Broad-Shouldered Beasts” showcases a driving snare pattern, in addition to one of Marcus Mumford’s best vocal performances off the entire album. Nothing in particular stands out on “Cold Arms,” but this is really one of the first songs on the record to do so.
“Ditmas” follows in this same vein, although it’s quite a bit more upbeat than “Cold Arms.” The beginning of “Only Love” makes the listener think it’s going to be another slow song, but the tempo picks up about two-thirds of the way in before ending. The solid album closer, “Hot Gates,” may not rank in the top tier of songs from the record, but it’s certainly a pleasant way to end things.
Wilder Mind is a great offering with several highlights. Though some may consider it too “listener-friendly” or “not unique enough,” Mumford & Sons have found a cool new sound that can even be expanded upon in future releases. It’s refreshing to hear them get back to the music they fell in love with in the first place.
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