With great hits like “Little Lion Man” and “The Cave”, it is easy to understand that the demand for a second studio album from Mumford & Sons was high. Known to deliver folk rock, a mixture of folk music with a heavy rock influence, Mumford & Sons shifted to second gear on their new album Babel.
It is understandable that the sound that we loved in “Little Lion Man” is not found here, and this may leave fans a little disappointed. However, Babel is truly a display of their best work.
Babelfeatures a bigger focus on the folk music than the rock music, but it also has a very concentrated mix of emotion and lyrics. Songs like “Ghosts That We Knew”, “Lover’s Eyes” and “Lover of The Light” have extremely deep and moving lyrics, capable of making the listener reflect on his or her own similar life experiences. “Ghosts That We Knew” talks about moving on from the past, not simply putting it behind you but actually dealing with it. “Lover’s Eyes” talks about heartache, and the feelings we get as we think back to the good times and the bad times that led up to the heartache. Meanwhile, “Lover of The Light” talks about love, both finding it and obtaining it.
Now, the soft, mellow and moving lyrics aren’t going to be enough for fans. Though the folk music is pretty good, what attracted most fans was their blend of flock and rock music. Suffice to say, they made sure to add it in.
Not lacking in deep lyrics and powerful emotion, songs like “Broken Crown” and “Hopeless Wanderer” have both a faster tempo and the unique blend of folk and rock that fans love. The emotion in these songs is enough to mellow out the listener, despite the somewhat upbeat tempo the song is centered around. “Broken Crown” talks about past mistakes, while “Hopeless Wanderer” talks about finding meaning in events and in life. Additionally, the album opens up with “Babel”, a fast-paced, rock-influenced song that allows fans to experience first-hand why this song was used as the album title.
Another notable song is “Not With Haste”, found at the very end of the album. Though the other songs found in the album are definitely good, I find they can’t compare to the previously mentioned songs on the album.
In any case, Babel delivers a very moving collection of songs that talk about life experiences, and few will find themselves unable to relate to most of the album.