Mumford & Sons: Babel

 

 

Two years after the release of their debut album Sigh No More, Mumford & Sons return with their second studio album, Babel.  Having mastered the unique ability to capture raw, honest emotion and turn it into something beautiful, Mumford & Sons may well have created a follow up album which will rival the undeniable success of their first.

This four piece band are the epitome of modern day English folk music. Vigorous foot stomping and barn dancing mixed with banjos and accordions, the boys definitely mean business. Although some may argue that Babel isn’t a massive diversion from the sound of their debut; with the incredible success of the double platinum selling, Grammy nominated Sigh No More, surely the band would be naive to wander too far away from what they know and more importantly what makes them so successful.

Holland Road and Ghost that We Knew offer ideas of personal contemplation and self belief. Sad, pensive tracks that we’ve all grown to expect and love from Mumford & Sons, “Well I rose and I rose and I paid less time, to your callus mind, and I wished you well as you cut me down.”

Current favourite Lover of the Light (close contenders include Hopeless Wanderer, Below my Feet and Babel) is perfect for a live audience and one which will be a definite crowd pleaser during next years festival run. (Glastonbury 2013 headliners, surely?)

Broken Crown is a future hit with a huge chorus, dramatic horns and a sense of hysteria, “Ill crawl on my belly till the sun goes down.” The Little Lion Man of the new album, hair raising, chaotic and utterly perfect. 

Babel is built for live performances; headline slots at summer festivals and massive arena tours. Big and bold, the sheer power of Marcus’s voice is one of pure rustic perfection.

As a Mumford & Sons super fan I admit, rather red faced,  that I have been counting down the months, weeks and even days to the release of their new album, and it’s fair to say that it certainly hasn’t disappointed.  A positive continuation of their first album? Perhaps. But it’s a continuation that, after a two year wait, many true Mumford fans will be grateful to hear.
 

Tickets for their UK arena tour this December are on sale now. Get yours here!

The Vaccines: Come of Age

If I could write an album review with just one single word then I would. Amazing, brilliant, wonderful, fantastic, great….any of these words will do the trick, as each one effectively sums up my feelings towards Come of Age the new album from my favourite band of 2012 (and 2011), The Vaccines.

Many music fanatics have questioned The Vaccines decision to release an album so quickly after their debut (What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?) in early 2011, but what Come of Age successfully does is show the boy’s progression as artists. If there’s one band that deserves the title of hardest working musicians of the last year it’s The Vaccines with an endless touring and recording schedule, it’s pretty impressive that they managed to piece together an album in such little time. However they certainly did a remarkable job as Come of Age successfully showcases their transition from middle of the road indie band to full on rock stars. Having only been a band for two years, many of their new songs reveal their new found maturity as a group with deeper lyrics and razor sharp rifts, a statement of development and self-confidence.

Come of Age offers classic sixties vibes and plenty of radio friendly hits. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy all 11 songs, (14 if you purchased the deluxe edition) but as a super Vaccines fan this is to be expected.  Personal favourites include I Always Knew, Change of Heart and Misbehaviour (I could go on).  Singles No Hope and Teenage Icon both see lead singer Justin Young admit his discomfort and self doubt as the front man of 2012’s biggest band: “I’m no teenage icon…I’m nobodies hero,” “I don’t really care about anybody else, when I haven’t got my whole life figured out,”  a theme which continues to rear its head throughout the album.

 

Ghost Town and Aftershave Ocean are the Wetsuit and Norgaard of Come of Age. Simple tracks with unexplainable meanings, absurd lyrics and an extremely catchy chorus: “I get water up my nose, I have to dry my clothes in your aftershave ocean,”  “Well you think your town is pretty boring, come and spend a day with me,” See what I mean?

Currently number one in the mid week charts and fighting off stiff competition from the northern Irish trio, Two Door Cinema Club with Beacon here’s hoping that the boys sustain this album position on Sunday, I for one am pretty certain that they will.

As a super fan of  Justin, Pete, Arnie and Freddie this review may seem extremely biased, but whatever you think you of The Vaccines I think it’s fair to say that Come of Age is an extremely brave progression from their debut album. Well done boys.

Tickets for their November tour are on sale now….snap yours up here!